Writing  for  the  Magazines 


BY 

J.  BERG  ESENWEIN,  F.  R.  S.  A. 

EDITOR  OF  "THE  WRITER'S  MONTHLY,"  SOMETIME 

EDITOR  OF  LIPPINCOTT'S  MAGAZINE,  AND  FORMER 

DIRECTOR  IN  THE  PERIODICAL  PUBLISHERS* 

ASSOCIATION  OF  AMERICA 


THE  WRITER'S  LIBRARY 

EDITED    BY   J.    BERG    ESENWEIN 


THE  HOME  CORRESPONDENCE  SCHOOL 

SPRINGFIELD,  MASS. 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright  1916 

THE  HOME  CORRESPONDENCE  SCHOOL 
ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED 


7WK7 
Er 


To  THE  MEMORY  or 

HAROLD 

Long  Loved — and  Lost  a  While 
THIS  LITTLE  BOOK  is  DEDICATED 


359292 


Contents 

Page 

WHY  THIS  BOOK? — A  FOREWORD        ....  xin 
SUGGESTIONS  TO  TEACHERS  AND  STUDENTS  OF  JOUR- 
NALISM AND  ENGLISH xv 

CHAPTER  I — THE  MAGAZINE  AND  THE  NEWSPAPER  i 

1.  Origin  of  the  Magazine i 

2.  What  is  the  Modern  Magazine,  and  How  Does  it 

Differ  Typically  from  the  Newspaper?     .       .  4 

CHAPTER  II — KINDS  OF  MAGAZINES   ....  9 
TABLE:  VARIOUS  TYPES  OF  MAGAZINES — WITH 

ADDRESSES  .......  10 

CHAPTER  III — KINDS  OF  MAGAZINE  MATERIAL       .  19 

1.  Clear-cut  Purpose  is  Necessary     .       .       .       .  19 

2.  A  Knowledge  of  Varieties  is  Valuable          .       .  20 

3.  Listing  the  Kinds  of  Magazine  Material      .       .  20 

4.  Versatility  is  Essential 21 

5.  Devising  New  Kinds  of  Material          ...  23 

6.  Broad  Classes  of  Material 24 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 25 

CHAPTER  IV — THE  SOURCES  OF  MAGAZINE  MATE- 
RIAL        27 

1.  The  Specific  Sources  of  Material  ....  27 

2.  Conserving  Material 36 

j.  Using  the  Work  of  Others 41 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 41 


VIII  CONTENTS 

Page 

CHAPTER  V — INFORMATION  AND  METHOD  ITEMS      .  43 

1.  The  Necessary  Equipment 44 

2.  Where  to  Find  Material 45 

j.  How  to  Write  a  Paragraph 48 

COMPLETE  EXAMPLES 49 

4.  Marketing  the  Items        .       .       .       .       .       .52 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 52 

CHAPTER  VI — THE  SHORT  ARTICLE    ....  54 

1.  The  Information-Article 54 

COMPLETE  EXAMPLE 55 

2.  The  Experience-Article 57 

COMPLETE  EXAMPLE 59 

j.  The  Interpretative  Article 61 

FOUR  COMPLETE  EXAMPLES         .       .       .       .  62 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 66 

CHAPTER  VII — THE  FULL-LENGTH  ARTICLE     .       .  69 

1.  What  Shall  I  Write  About? 69 

TABLE  :    FIFTY  TYPICAL  SUBJECTS  AND  TITLES  OF 

MAGAZINE  ARTICLES 74 

2.  Opening  the  Article 77 

EIGHT  EXAMPLES 78 

3.  The  Body  of  the  Article 83 

4.  The  Length  of  the  Article 84 

TABLE  :  LENGTH  OF  ARTICLES  USED  BY  FORTY- 
FIVE  MAGAZINES 86 

5.  Ending  the  Article 88 

GUIDE  POSTS  FOR  THE  WRITER  OF  ARTICLES    .  89 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 90 


CONTENTS  DC 

Page 

CHAPTER  VIII — HUMOROUS  WRITING        .       .       .  92 

1.  The  Basis  of  the  Laughable 93 

2.  Six  Kinds  of  Humor 98 

j.  The  Common  Types  of  Humorous  Writing          .  99 

FIFTY  COMPLETE  EXAMPLES        ....  100 

4.  Hints  on  Methods  of  Work 114 

5.  Markets  for  Humor 116 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 117 

CHAPTER  IX — MAGAZINE  POETRY      .       .       .       .119 

1.  Length 120 

TABLE:    AVERAGE  LENGTH  OF  305  MAGAZINE 

POEMS 120 

2.  Form 122 

j.  Theme .  123 

TABLE:  THEMES  OF  305  MAGAZINE  POEMS       .  124 

4.  Tone 127 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  VERSIFIERS      .       .       .       .127 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 128 

CHAPTER  X — LIGHT  VERSE 129 

1.  Vers  de  Societe 129 

EXAMPLE 130 

2.  Satirical  Verse 130 

EXAMPLE 130 

j.  Humorous  Verse 130 

FOUR  EXAMPLES 131 

4.  Parody  and  Travesty 132 

FOUR  EXAMPLES 132 

5.  Nonsense  Verse 134 


X  CONTENTS 

Page 

Two  EXAMPLES 135 

6.  The  Limerick 136 

FOUR  EXAMPLES     .       .       .       .              .       .  137 

7.  Whimsical  Verse 137 

8.  General  Observations 138 

MR.  ARTHUR  GUITERMAN'S  ADVICE  TO  VERSE 

WRITERS 139 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 141 

CHAPTER  XI — MAGAZINE  FICTION      .       .       .       .143 

1.  The  Fictional  Sketch 143 

2.  The  Tale 144 

3.  The  Short-Story       .......  145 

TABLE:     AVERAGE   LENGTH   OF    829    SHORT- 
STORIES  IN  40  MAGAZINES       .       .       .       .146 

TABLE:  PERCENTAGE  or  SHORT-STORIES  OF 

DISTINCTION  PUBLISHED  DURING  1915  .  .  151 

TABLE:  SHORT-STORIES  OF  DISTINCTION  PUB- 
LISHED IN  "SCRIBNER'S"  DURING  1915  .  152 

4.  Longer  Magazine  Fiction 153 

TABLE:   LENGTH  OF  LONG  MAGAZINE  FICTION 

AND  NUMBER  AND  LENGTH  OF  INSTALLMENTS 
— FORTY-THREE  MAGAZINES     .       .       .       .156 
TEN  MAXIMS  FOR  BEGINNERS  IN  FICTION  WRIT- 
ING         158 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 159 

CHAPTER  XII — PLAYS 160 

i.  Kinds  of  Plays  Used  in  the  Magazines       .       .  161 


CONTENTS  XI 

Page 
2.  Good  Form  for  Dramatic  Manuscripts          .        .     164 

EXAMPLES .       .     164 

j.  Simple  Hints  on  Play  Construction      .       .       .166 
QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES  .       .       .       .       .       .168 

CHAPTER  XIII — EDITORIAL  WORK     .       .       .       .169 

1.  The  Editorial  Staff  and  Its  Duties        ...     169 

2.  Qualifications  of  an  Editor 176 

j.  How  Editorial  Positions  are  Attained          .       .178 

CHAPTER  XIV — POINTS  ON  PREPARING  MANUSCRIPT    182 
7.  Revising  the  Manuscript 182 

2.  The  Value  of  Typewritten  Manuscript         .       .183 

3.  Preparing  the  Manuscript 185 

CHAPTER  XV — How  MANUSCRIPTS  ARE  MARKETED    190 

1.  Four  Ways  of  Marketing 190 

2.  How  to  Study  Markets 195 

3.  Utilizing  Market  Knowledge          .       .       .        .198 

4.  The  Best  Practice  in  Marketing     ....     202 

APPENDICES 

APPENDIX  A — DIGEST  OF  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  PROSE 

WRITING 209 

APPENDIX  B — POINTS  FOR  SELF-CRITICISM  IN  FIC- 
TION WRITING 223 

APPENDIX  C — DISCRIMINATIONS  IN  THE  USE  OF 

WORDS 225 

APPENDIX  D — A  SHORT  READING  LIST      .       .       .240 

GENERAL  INDEX 245 


Why  This  Book? 

A  FOREWORD 

The  population  of  the  United  States  consists  of  one 
hundred  millions,  most  of  whom  seem  to  be  ambitious  to 
write.  I  would  not  willingly  add  to  this  host,  yet  to  those 
who  have  some  prospect  of  success  I  should  like  to  extend 
a  hand  of  help. 

Of  the  countless  would-be  writers,  by  far  the  greater 
number  fail  because  they  have  nothing  to  say;  for  them 
there  is  no  course  but  to  fill  up  their  lives  with  things  worth 
while.  A  much  smaller  number  do  not  succeed  because, 
though  they  know  various  things  that  would  be  of  service 
and  interest  to  their  fellows,  they  take  up  their  pens 
blindly — they  know  little  of  the  forms  acceptable  to  the 
magazines,  and  less  of  how  to  learn  how.  All  such  need 
a  guide. 

In  this  volume  may  be  found  analyses  of  the  various 
kinds  of  material  that  editors  are  constantly  buying, 
together  with  such  examples  as  could  be  included  in  a 
work  of  this  size.  The  several  tables  showing  the  favorite 
lengths  of  magazine  material  and  the  themes  most  in 
vogue,  are  all  authoritative,  having  been  made  up  from 
first-hand  information  contributed  for  this  work  by  the 
editors  of  our  most  broadly-read  magazines,  and  from  a 
careful  examination  of  hundreds  of  issues  covering  a  wide 
range  of  current  periodicals.  If  these  tables  are  studied 
in  connection  with  such  magazines  as  may  be  available  to 
the  ambitious  writer  they  should  prove  valuable  guides. 


XIV  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

Material  of  this  sort  appears  never  to  have  been  published 
before. 

No  attempt  has  been  made  to  evolve  a  set  technique 
for  any  of  the  various  forms  of  magazine  material  herein 
treated — the  effort  has  been  to  set  down  clearly  and 
accurately  the  results  of  long  experience,  and  such  dis- 
criminating observation  as  the  author  possesses,  leaving 
each  reader  to  choose  the  materials  and  the  methods  best 
suited  to  his  own  resources  and  preferences.  In  other 
words,  the  advice  on  questions  of  theme,  treatment,  form 
and  marketing  is  intended  to  be  suggestive  and  not 
arbitrary,  and  it  is  particularly  hoped  that  in  the  several 
digests  of  principles  of  the  various  prose,  dramatic  and 
verse  forms  treated,  the  growing  guild  of  pen-workers  will 
find  many  helps  which  will  save  time  and  labor,  and  the 
disappointment  which  is  inevitably  consequent  upon 
unguided  or  misdirected  effort. 

The  magazines  today  use  an  amazing  amount  of  mate- 
rial, and  those  who  are  chosen  to  furnish  it  are  they  who 
make  an  intelligent  and  persistent  study  of  what  is  called 
for,  how  it  is  conceived  and  worked  out,  and  how  and  where 
it  is  offered  for  sale.  Magazine  writing,  it  must  constantly 
be  reiterated,  is  both  an  art  and  a  craft.  This  volume  is 
offered  in  a  friendly  spirit  to  all  writers  who  need  help 
in  either  the  one  or  the  other  phase  of  authorship. 

J.  BERG  ESENWEIN. 

Springfield,  Mass., 
July  i,  1916. 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  TEACHERS  AND  STUDENTS 
OF  JOURNALISM  AND  ENGLISH 

Like  several  other  volumes  in  THE  WRITER'S  LIBRARY, 
this  book  covers  a  subject  not  heretofore  treated,  except  in 
a  fragmentary  way,  by  any  other  author.  It  will  be  found 
impressive  in  grasp  and  peculiarly  practical  in  method. 
Every  line  is  written  with  the  authority  of  experience  and 
a  deep-seated  wish  to  help. 

It  is  believed  that  the  progressive  arrangement  of  the 
chapters  will  make  this  as  ideal  a  textbook  as  the  other 
volumes  in  the  author's  series  have  proved  to  be  through- 
out the  United  States,  Canada  and  England.  No  student, 
and  certainly  no  teacher,  would  plan  for  a  complete  course 
in  every  type  of  magazine  writing,  based  on  a  single  text, 
so  it  is  suggested  that  at  the  outstart  a  progressive  study 
be  taken  up,  leading  from  the  shorter  to  the  longer  prose 
forms.  Those  students  who  show  aptitude  for  verse, 
fiction  or  dramatics  should  then  choose  their  favorite  of 
these  three  literary  types  and  devote  to  it  as  much  time 
as  may  be  available.  More  complete  treatises  on  the 
short-story,  poetics  and  versification,  and  play  writing 
are  already  available,  either  from  the  pen  of,  or  edited  by, 
Dr.  Esenwein,  and  done  in  the  same  spirit  that  informs 
this  volume,  so  that  there  is  plenty  of  help  for  those  who 
are  able  to  go  beyond  the  simpler  prose  forms  of  magazine 
writing. 

Particular  attention  is  called  to  the  valuable  tables 
contained  in  this  book.  Students  should  be  encouraged 


XVI  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

to  follow  these  and  similar  lines  in  personal  intensive 
research — the  results  will  be  illuminating.  Let  the  student 
supplement  the  notes  of  the  text  by  going  directly  to  the 
magazines,  great  and  small. 

The  large  number  and  wide  variety  of  questions  and 
exercises  appended  to  most  of  the  chapters  are  so  arranged 
that  either  a  student- writer  who  is  working  alone  or  a 
teacher  who  is  directing  a  class  may  find  it  easy  to  select 
questions  perfectly  adapted  to  individual  needs.  It  is 
not  suggested  that  all  the  questions  be  used.  Nor  should 
all  questions  be  made  the  basis  for  written  work — a  num- 
ber of  thought-provoking  queries  have  been  added  for 
either  meditation  or  impromptu  class  work. 

The  most  practical  teaching  of  journalism,  obviously, 
is  that  which  leads  to  publication,  though  it  is  equally 
obvious  that  not  all  pupils  in  their  student  days  will  attain 
this  result.  This  book  offers  the  first  and  only  solution  of 
this  difficult  problem  by  definitely  showing  the  pupil  at 
the  very  outstart  how  easy  it  is  to  get  into  the  magazines 
in  a  small  way  if  one  will  only  follow  instruction.  The 
small  markets,  and  even  the  large  markets  for  small  items, 
are  wide  open.  It  would  seem  to  be  a  helpful  adjunct  to 
teaching  to  encourage  the  pupil  to  enter,  though  with  no 
more  than  a  paragraph  in  his  hand. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  MAGAZINE  AND  THE  NEWSPAPER 

Since  the  first  requisite  for  writing  successfully  for  a 
given  periodical  is  to  grasp  its  nature,  aims  and  limitations, 
it  seems  necessary  at  the  outstart  to  make  two  inquiries: 
What  is  the  history  of  the  magazine,  and  what,  precisely, 
is  its  nature,  as  a  distinct  literary  product? 

i.    Origin  of  the  Magazine 

Regarding  the  origin  of  the  magazine,  doctors  do  not 
agree.  It  grew  out  of  the  newspaper,  but  just  how  dif- 
ferent from  the  newspaper  must  a  new  periodical  be  before 
it  may  fairly  be  called  a  new  literary  form?  Yet  if  we  take 
into  account  the  purpose  and  character  of  this  innovation, 
it  would  seem  easy  enough  to  determine  when  the  magazine 
became  a  thing  of  individuality,  even  though  it  long  con- 
tinued to  purvey  news  to  the  public.  Today,  some  maga- 
zines make  a  specialty  of  news — always,  however,  in  the 
form  of  a  summary,  or  digest,  printed  in  addition  to  real 
literary  matter.  Doubtless  magazines  and  newspapers 
will  always  continue  to  cross  each  other's  domains  at 
certain  points. 

In  January,  1665,  at  Paris,  Denis  de  Sallo,  under  the 
assumed  name  of  the  Sieur  de  Hedonville,  first  brought  out 
the  Journal  des  Savants,  which —  since  both  in  purpose  and 
in  contents  it  forecasted  the  modern  periodical —  we  may 


2          •  |  /•  .'•  .'WAITING.  F.QR  THE  MAGAZINES 

accept  as  the  earliest  of  the  magazines.  Three  years  later, 
1668,  the  Giornale  de'  letterati  was  issued  in  Rome.  In 
1 68 1  Weekly  Memorials  for  the  Ingenious  was  published  in 
London.  And  in  1688  the  Germans  began  a  series  of 
monthly  periodicals  under  the  general  name  of 
Monatsgesprache,  which  spread  so  rapidly  in  popularity 
that  soon  nearly  every  important  German  city  had  its 
own  magazine,  generally  local  in  interest.  All  these 
periodicals  showed  marks  of  essential  difference  from  the 
newspapers  which  had  preceded  them,  so  that  within  a 
period  of  twenty-three  years  the  magazine  as  a  new  form 
was  founded,  if  not  established,  in  four  great  lands,  though 
it  was  not  until  the  eighteenth  century  that  other  countries 
imitated  these  originators.  It  is,  however,  with  the  history 
of  the  magazine  in  English  that  we  are  now  concerned,  and 
that  only  most  briefly. 

When  on  May  21, 1709,  appeared  Joseph  Addison's  first 
contribution  to  The  Tattler,  which  had  been  founded  by 
Richard  Steele,  a  new  era  of  journalism  dawned  for  the 
English-speaking  world.  Only  seventeen  tri- weekly  issues 
had  preceded  this  epochal  number,  and  into  each  the  ingen- 
ious Steele  had  put  something  of  that  literary  quality  which 
for  so  long  was  the  essence  of  the  true  magazine.  It  was  in 
The  Tattler  that  Addison  and  Steele  first  printed  their  Essays 
— half  fiction,  half  what  they  were  named,  and  altogether 
delightful — and  continued  them  in  The  Spectator  which,  as 
a  daily,  succeeded  The  Tattler.  This  fecund  partnership 
was  maintained  down  to  the  final  issue  of  a  third  maga- 
zine, The  Guardian ,  which  disappeared  in  October,  1713. 

In  1731,  Edward  Cave  started  The  Gentleman's  Magazine 


THE   MAGAZINE   AND  THE   NEWSPAPER  3 

or  Monthly  Intelligencer,  for  which  in  1740  Samuel  Johnson 
became  the  parliamentary  reporter,  often  writing  the 
speeches  in  a  style  which  astounded — not  to  say  flattered — 
many  law-making  gentlemen  who  were  innocent  of  such 
magniloquent  periods.  The  preface  to  the  first  volume 
states  that  the  editor's  object  was  "to  give  Monthly  a 
View  of  all  the  Pieces  of  Wit,  Humour,  or  Intelligence, 
daily  offer'd  to  the  Public  in  the  News-Papers,"  and  "to 
join  therewith  some  other  Matters  of  Use  or  Amusement 
that  will  be  communicated  to  us."  In  addition  to  this  he 
professed  to  record  the  "most  remarkable  Transactions  and 
Events ,  Foreign  and  Domestick,"  "the  Births,  Marriages, 
Deaths,  Promotions,  and  Bankrupts,"  together  with 
"Prices  of  Goods  and  Stock,"  "Bills  of  Mortality,"  and 
"a  Register  of  Books." 

American  magazine  journalism  made  early  contribution 
to  the  new  movement.  In  1741 — nine  years,  be  it  noted, 
before  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson  founded  in  London  the  ponder- 
ous Rambler ,  and  seventeen  years  before  the  same  pundit 
established  The  Idler — Benjamin  Franklin  issued  in  Phila- 
delphia the  General  Magazine  and  Historical  Chronicle. 
It  did  not  show  all  the  marks  of  Dr.  Franklin's  later  ability 
and  lived  but  six  months.  In  the  same  year,  1741,  Webbe 
founded  the  American  Magazine,  which  was  still  less  suc- 
cessful than  Franklin's  venture.  In  Boston,  in  1743,  The 
American  Magazine  and  Historical  Chronicle — which  it 
will  be  noticed  assumed  a  name  compounded  from  those  of 
its  American  predecessors — began  a  short  life.  In  fact, 
for  a  long  period  American  magazines  shared  with  their 
English  precursors  the  quality  of  being  short-lived,  until 


4  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

in  1815  was  founded  The  North  American  Review,  which 
flourished,  and  has  now  entered  upon  the  second  century 
of  an  honored  life. 

2.  What  is  the  Modern  Magazine 
And  How  Does  it  Differ  Typically  from  the  Newspaper? 

To  define  is  to  limit,  and  when  we  begin  to  limit  we  must 
go  carefully.  We  all  know  the  sort  of  thing  we  mean  by  a 
newspaper,  even  with  its  magazine  features,  but  though  we 
readily  recognize  a  magazine  when  we  see  one,  it  is  not  so 
easy  to  set  up  a  definition  of  a  magazine,  unless — as  we 
shall  have  to  do — we  make  a  very  broad  generalization. 

We  have  seen  that  in  its  earlier  days  the  limits  of  the 
magazine  were  narrow  as  compared  with  its  present  scope. 
When  it  came  to  its  typical  form,  it  was  everywhere  recog- 
nized as  a  literary  miscellany,  yet  nowadays  most  magazines 
cannot  be  said  to  be  literary,  and  the  contents  of  the  larger 
number,  though  not  the  most  prominently  before  the  public, 
are  so  highly  specialized  as  to  be  far  from  a  miscellany.  So 
the  magazine  has  changed  and  bids  fair  to  change  still  more. 

Even  the  slightest  acquaintance  with  the  periodicals 
named  in  the  foregoing  historical  outline,  added  to  a  knowl- 
edge of  present-day  magazines,  will  show  that  one  thing  a 
magazine  is  not:  it  is  not  merely  a  newspaper.  True, 
magazines  like  The  Outlook  and  The  Independent  (weeklies) 
do  contain,  in  addition  to  literary  and  other  miscellany,  a 
considerable  body  of  news,  but  news  treated  in  a  highly 
specialized  way:  their  province  in  those  departments  is 
not  primarily  to  report  but  to  interpret  news. 


THE   MAGAZINE   AND  THE   NEWSPAPER  5 

Again,  periodicals  like  The  Literary  Digest  (weekly), 
Current  Opinion,  and  The  Review  of  Reviews  (monthlies) 
are  made  up  not  so  much  of  news  as  of  digests  of  editorial 
opinions,  reviews  of  current  events,  salient  passages  from 
newspaper  and  magazine  articles,  comment  on  things  of 
present  literary  and  artistic  interest,  and  all  things  sig- 
nificant in  the  industrial,  commercial,  political,  economic, 
ethical,  religious,  intellectual  and  recreational  life  of  the 
day.  Such  entirely  original  articles  as  they  print  are  on 
themes  growing  out  of  the  foregoing  interests.  Any  depar- 
tures from  this  broad  program  are  incidental  and  not 
typical. 

It  is  perhaps  stretching  the  meaning  of  the  term  news, 
as  applied  to  the  newspaper,  to  extend  it  to  information  of 
what  is  going  on  in  the  world  of  engineering,  music, 
medicine,  or  any  other  limited  field,  as  printed  regularly  in 
certain  magazines.  Doubtless  enough  has  been  said  to 
establish  this  broad  distinction:  News  is  primarily  the 
business  of  the  newspapers;  the  interpretation  of  news  has 
become  the  function  of  a  certain  well-marked  kind  of 
magazine. 

(a)  A  magazine  is  a  periodical — that  is,  it  is  issued  at 
stated  intervals,  longer  than  one  day.    The  fact  that  some 
newspapers'  are  published  two  or  three  times  a  week,  and 
still  others  weekly,  would  not  justify  their  being  classed  as 
periodicals — usage  has  reserved  the  name  for  magazines. 

(b)  A  magazine  is  a  definitely  specialized  publication, 
whereas  the  average  newspaper  is  such  in  only  a  remote 
sense.    The  Wall  Street  Journal  (morning  and  evening,  six 
days  a  week)  is  &  financial  newspaper  and  therefore  highly 


6  WRITING   FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 

specialized,  and  a  few  other  dailies  here  and  there  are 
equally  so.  In  each  of  these,  the  general  news  features  are 
subordinated  to  the  special  purpose  of  the  publication, 
thus  putting  such  papers  in  unique  classes — therefore  they 
will  not  serve  as  general  standards.  Of  course,  also,  most 
dailies  specialize  in  the  news  of  their  own  cities,  and  in  a 
lesser  degree  many  great  newspapers  are  specialized  in  the 
sense  that  their  policies  and  hence  their  contents  are 
molded  to  fit  the  real  or  supposed  demands  of  a  certain  part 
of  a  territorial  public.  The  Boston  Transcript  is  not  read 
generally  by  the  same  public  that  supports  The  Boston 
American,  any  more  than  The  New  York  Evening  World 
would  regularly  satisfy  the  readers  of  The  New  York  Even- 
ing Post. 

But  in  a  different  sense  from  the  foregoing  a  magazine  is 
definitely  specialized.  It  does,  of  course,  aim  to  interest 
the  general  public  and  in  a  few  instances  succeeds  to  the 
extent  that  upwards  of  two  million  copies  of  each  of  several 
magazines  are  sold  monthly;  still,  the  most  popular  of 
these  magazines  limits  its  appeal  not  at  all  to  a  locality,  and 
scarcely  at  all  to  a  class  of  readers,  but  almost  entirely  to 
certain  sides  of  human  nature  everywhere,  as  we  shall  see 
presently.  It  is  therefore  in  its  table  of  contents  broadly 
similar  month  after  month,  and  hence  patterned  to  fit  a 
highly  specialized  conception  of  what  people  want,  that  the 
magazine  differs  from  the  newspapers.  In  other  words,  the 
magazine  specializes  in  certain  definite  interests,  which  it 
aims  to  satisfy  better  than  any  other  publication. 

(c)  Greater  permanency  enters  into  the  idea  of  a  magazine 
than  is  the  case  with  the  newspapers.  Rarely  is  this 


THE  MAGAZINE  AND  THE  NEWSPAPER  7 

permanency  absolute  nowadays,  as  when  our  fathers 
religiously  saved  and  bound  the  numbers  of  "their" 
magazine,  still,  a  much  greater  permanency  is  attained 
than  is  aimed  at  by  the  daily  paper.  True,  not  a  few  news- 
papers are  better  worth  preserving  than  many  magazines, 
yet  in  even  the  more  ephemeral  weekly  and  monthly 
periodicals  may  be  found  serialized  novels,  short-stories 
and  essays  which  eventually  make  their  way  into  the  realm 
of  real  or  so-called  literature.  This  used  also  to  be  true  of 
the  newspaper  page,  but  now  for  the  most  part  the  fiction 
appearing  there  is  reprinted  from  magazines  and  books, 
usually  by  arrangement  with  some  syndicate. 

(d)  The  magazine  is  aimed  at  a  mood  of  leisure,  while  the 
newspaper  is  to  be  read  rapidly,  so  far  as  it  does  not  enter 
the  field  of  the  magazine.    For  this  reason  the  well-con- 
ducted magazine  is  prepared  to  satisfy  a  more  critical  eye, 
both  in  form  and  in  matter,  than  is  any  but  the  very 
exceptional  newspaper.    Its  fiction  is  longer,  or  comes  in 
longer  installments,  its  articles  are  more  thoroughgoing, 
its  whole  appearance  and  contents  more  sustained  and 
finished. 

This  leads  to  the  final  distinction  which  we  shall  ven- 
ture, though  still  others,  of  less  obviousness,  might  be  sug- 
gested: 

(e)  The  form  of  the  magazine  is  distinctive.    This  is  not 
merely  a  matter  of  custom  but  grows  out  of  several  of  the 
discriminations  which  have  just  been  attempted — as  will 
need  no  further  discussion. 

In  defining  the  magazine,  then,  only  general  character- 
istics may  be  named,  not  only  because  magazines  differ  so 


8  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

widely  in  general  but  for  the  reason  already  mentioned 
that  of  late  years  so  many  magazine  features  have  been 
made  a  regular  part  of  the  daily  paper  and,  by  the  same 
token,  so  many  newspaper  characteristics  have  crept  into 
the  magazines. 

A  magazine  is  a  periodical  publication,  primarily  bound  in 
paper,  specialized  in  both  its  characteristic  and  miscellaneous 
contents  so  as  to  satisfy  certain  definite  interests,  and  designed 
for  a  mood  of  comparative  leisure. 

It  will  be  interesting  to  note  how  these  characteristics 
of  the  magazine  are  approached,  and  sometimes  met,  by 
special  numbers,  or  sections,  of  the  daily  paper,  as  the  Sun- 
day edition.  Not  only  such  syndicated  publications  as 
Every  Week,  and  others  similar,  but  the  "magazine  page" 
of  the  daily  issue,  imitate  the  typical  magazine  in  contents, 
if  not  in  appearance.  The  writer  for  the  magazines  cannot 
afford  to  overlook  this  tremendous  market  for  his  pen- work 
even  though  much  of  the  field  is  covered  by  syndicate 
arrangement. 


CHAPTER  II 

KINDS  OF  MAGAZINES 

It  could  arouse  little  more  than  an  academic  interest  to 
present  a  classification  of  magazines  even  measurably 
exact  in  its  grouping  or  fully  inclusive  in  scope.  It  must 
be  understood  that  nothing  of  the  sort  is  intended  by  this 
chapter.  Magazines  come  and  go,  merge  and  change, 
with  such  bewildering  suddenness  that  even  the  following 
short  list  is  sure  to  be  misrepresentative  in  at  least  some 
details  by  the  time  it  is  put  into  type.  The  real  purpose 
of  this  list  is  to  arouse  an  interest  in  the  little-known  maga- 
zines as  markets  for  material,  and  thereby  to  show  intend- 
ing contributors  that,  as  multifarious  as  are  human  pur- 
suits, so  widely  diversified  are  the  periodicals  meant  to 
match  them. 

Several  further  words  of  caution  are  necessary.  It  has 
not  been  possible  to  compile  a  representative  list  of 
periodicals  covering  so  broad  a  range  of  interests  and  yet 
include  only  such  as  both  accept  and  pay  for  contributed 
material.  For  this  reason  the  accompanying  survey  must 
not  be  regarded  as  a  list  of  markets.  Before  sending  mate- 
rial to  those  magazines  which  are  evidently  either  of  small 
circulation  or  highly  specialized  in  character  it  would  be 
well  to  examine  one  or  two  copies,  or  else  ask  the  editor 
briefly  if  unsolicited  material  is  desired,  and  paid  for  if  > 
available.  A  stamped,  addressed  return  envelope  usually 
brings  reply.  Further,  you  must  remember  that  many 


10  WRITING   FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 

magazines  are  physically  little  more  than  a  few  stitched 
leaves,  so  do  not  be  misled  into  expecting  too  much  from 
the  unknown. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  only  one  periodical  is  named  as 
an  example  of  each  kind.  This  implies  no  judgment  on  my 
part  that  that  magazine  is  of  better  grade  than  others  not 
mentioned.  Each  is  listed  arbitrarily  and  solely  as  an 
example  of  a  class.  Had  I  found  it  possible  to  study  care- 
fully each  of  the  periodicals  published  in  the  interest  of— 
let  us  say  for  instance — manufactures  and  trades,  and 
also  all  the  magazines  of  every  other  class,  the  total  selec- 
tion doubtless  would  have  been  more  representative — 
though  not  more  permanently  useful,  in  view  of  the  fre- 
quent changes  in  magazinedom. 

Finally,  it  must  be  obvious  that  most  magazines  use 
material  outside  the  scope  indicated  by  their  names. 
Therefore  I  say  again,  see  as  many  copies  of  as  many 
kinds  of  magazines  as  you  can.  Somewhere,  in  a  sur- 
prising number  of  those  magazines  that  buy  material  at 
all,  will  be  found  the  sort  of  thing  you  yourself  are  able  to 
write — if  you  are  a  flexible  writer  and  willing  to  begin  in  a 
small  way 

VARIOUS  TYPES  OF  MAGAZINES 

Note  that  some  of  the  following  magazines  touch  inter- 
ests not  indicated  in  the  broad  classifications — for  exam- 
ple, a  recreation  periodical  may  include  the  business  side 
of  recreation.  The  periodicals  are  published  monthly 
unless  otherwise  indicated. 


KINDS   OF   MAGAZINES  II 

Miscellanies 

LITERARY:  Atlantic  Monthly,  Boston,  Mass. 

POPULAR:   Munsey,  New  York 

LITERARY  AND  CURRENT  EVENTS:    Outlook  (weekly), 

New  York 
POPULAR  AND  CURRENT  EVENTS:    Collier's  (weekly), 

New  York 
POPULAR  INFORMATION  :  Popular  Science  Monthly,  New 

York 

Reviews 

GENERAL:  North  American  Review,  New  York 
GENERAL,  AND  INTERPRETATIONS  OF  CURRENT  AFFAIRS: 

Current  Opinion,  New  York 
DIGESTS  OF  NEWSPAPERS  AND  PERIODICALS:    Literary 

Digest  (weekly),  New  York 
SPECIALIZED:  Manhattan  Review,  New  York 
(See  also  other  headings.) 

Literary 

GENERAL:  Bookman,  New  York 

SPECIAL  FORMS  :  Poetry  Journal,  Boston,  Mass. 

WRITERS  IN  GENERAL:    Writer's  Monthly,  Springfield, 

Mass. 
SPECIAL  FORMS  OF  AUTHORSHIP  :  The  Dramatist,  Easton, 

Pa. 

LIBRARIES:  Public  Libraries,  Chicago 
COMMERCIAL:  Publisher  and  Retailer,  New  York 

Fiction 

Ainslee's,  New  York 


12  WRITING   FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 

Humor  and  Satire 

Life,  New  York 

Art 

GENERAL:  International  Studio,  New  York 
EDUCATIONAL:  School  Arts  Book,  Boston,  Mass. 
SPECIAL  FORMS:  Keramic  Studio,  Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

Music 

GENERAL:  Etude,  Philadelphia 

TRADES:  Music  Trades  (weekly),  New  York 

SPECIAL  FORMS  :  Piano  Magazine,  Chicago 

Education 

REPRESENTING  PARTICULAR  SCHOOLS:  Princeton  Picto- 
rial Review  (fortnightly),  Princeton,  N.  J. 

GENERAL:  American  Education,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

ADMINISTRATION:  American  School  Board  Journal, 
Milwaukee,  Wis. 

PARTICULARIZED  PRINCIPLES:  Journal  of  Educational 
Psychology,  Baltimore,  Md. 

SPECIAL  GRADES:  American  Primary  Teacher,  Boston, 
Mass. 

VOCATIONAL:    Manual  Training  Magazine,  Peoria,  111. 

SPECIAL  BRANCHES  :  Modern  Language  Notes,  Baltimore, 
Md. 

SECTIONAL:  Pennsylvania  School  Journal,  Lancaster,  Pa. 

DENOMINATIONAL:  Catholic  School  Journal,  Milwaukee, 
Wis. 

Professional  and  Technical 

REVIEWS  :  Engineering  Review,  New  York 


KINDS  OF  MAGAZINES  13 

GENERAL:  Army  and  Navy  Journal  (weekly),  New  York 
SPECIALTIES:  Journal  of  Nervous  and  Mental  Diseases, 

New  York 
PARTICULAR  SCHOOLS:    Osteopathic  Physician,  Chicago 

Vocations 

NURSING:    Trained  Nurse  and  Hospital  Review,  New 
York 

Avocations 

AMATEUR     PHOTOGRAPHY:      Amateur    Photographer's 
Weekly,  Cleveland,  Ohio 

Farming  and  Allied  Occupations 

GENERAL:  Country  Gentleman,  Philadelphia 
PARTICULAR  FORMS:  American  Fruits,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
SPECIAL  CROPS:   Modern  Sugar  Planter  (weekly),  New 

Orleans,  La. 

FLORICULTURE:  Florists1  Exchange,  New  York 
STOCK  RAISING,  GENERAL:  Breeders'  Gazette,  Chicago 
STOCK  RAISING,  SPECIAL:   American  Sheep  Breeder  and 

Grower,  New  York 

POULTRY:  American  Poultry  Journal,  Chicago 
PIGEONS:  Pigeon  News  (semi-monthly),  Boston,  Mass. 
BEES:     Gleanings    in    Bee    Culture    (semi-monthly), 

Medina,  Ohio 

DAIRY:  Hoard's  Dairyman  (weekly),  Ft.  Atkinson,  Wis. 
IRRIGATION:  Irrigation  Age,  Chicago 
FORESTRY:  American  Forestry,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Manufactures  and  Trades 

GENERAL:  Manufacturers'1  Record,  Baltimore,  Md. 


14  WRITING  FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

SPECIAL  LINE:  Acetylene  Journal,  Chicago 
PARTICULAR  BRANCH  OF  A  SPECIAL  LINE:    Accessory 
and  Garage  Journal  (semi-monthly),  Pawtucket,  R.  I. 

Commerce 

THE  GENERAL  FIELD:  World's  Work,  New  York 
CORPORATION:    International  Railway  Journal,  Phila- 
delphia 

EXPORTING:  American  Exporter,  New  York 
WHOLESALING:    Rock  Products  and  Building  Material, 

Chicago 

RETAILING:  Hardware  Dealers1  Magazine,  New  York 
SALESMANSHIP:  Salesman,  San  Francisco 
SPECIAL  PHASES  OF  BUSINESS:    Judicious  Advertising, 

Chicago 
MAIL  ORDER:  Agents  and  Mail  Order  Dealers  Magazine 

(bi-monthly),  Chicago 

COOPERATION:  Cooperation,  Minneapolis,  Minn. 
FINANCE:  American  Economist  (weekly),  New  York 
HOUSE  ORGANS  :  Hoggson's  Magazine,  New  York 
METHODS  OF  EFFICIENCY:  System,  Chicago 

Various  Occupations 

Chef  and  Steward,  Chicago 

Health  and  Recreation 

HEALTH:  Good  Health,  Battle  Creek,  Mich. 
PHYSICAL  DEVELOPMENT:  Physical  Culture,  New  York 
OUTDOOR  LIFE  AND  SPORTS  :  Outing,  New  York 
PARTICULAR  OUTDOOR  SPORTS  :  Baseball  Magazine,  New 
York 


KINDS   OF   MAGAZINES  1 5 

HUNTING,  FISHING  AND  FOREST  LIFE  :  Field  and  Stream, 

New  York 

MOTORING:  Motor,  New  York 
BOATING:   The  Rudder,  New  York 
HORSEMANSHIP:  Rider  and  Driver,  New  York 
AERONAUTICS:  Aircraft,  New  York 
INDOOR  GAMES,  PHYSICAL:   Bowler's  Journal  (weekly), 

New  York 
INDOOR   GAMES,   INTELLECTUAL:    Chess    Forum,   New 

York 
INDOOR  RECREATIONS:    Philatelic  West  and  Post  Card 

Collector's  World,  Superior,  Neb. 
PETS:  Dogdom,  Battle  Creek,  Mich. 
DRAMA:   Theatre  Magazine,  New  York 
PHOTOPLAY:  Moving  Picture  World,  New  York 
LYCEUM:   Lyceum  World,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

Religious  and  Ethical 

CLERICAL:  Uomiletic  Review,  New  York 

POPULAR,  UNDENOMINATIONAL:  Christian  Herald 
(weekly),  New  York 

DENOMINATIONAL:  The  Catholic  World  (weekly),  New 
York 

SPECIAL  CAUSES:  Union  Signal  (Temperance — W.  C. 
T.  U.,  weekly),  Chicago 

INTERNATIONAL  ORGANIZATIONS,  MEN:  Association 
Men  (Y.  M.  C.  A.),  New  York 

INTERNATIONAL  ORGANIZATIONS,  YOUNG  PEOPLE,  IN- 
TERDENOMINATIONAL: Christian  Endeavor  World 
(Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.,  weekly),  Boston,  Mass. 


l6  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

YOUNG  PEOPLE,  DENOMINATIONAL:  Epworth  Herald 
(Methodist  Episcopal,  weekly),  Chicago 

JUVENILE,  DENOMINATIONAL:  The  Comrade  (Presby- 
terian, weekly),  Philadelphia 

JUVENILE,  BOYS,  UNDENOMINATIONAL:  Boy's  World 
(weekly),  Elgin,  111. 

JUVENILE,  GIRLS,  UNDENOMINATIONAL:  Girl's  Com- 
panion (weekly),  Elgin,  111. 

JUVENILE,  BOYS,  DENOMINATIONAL:  Youth's  World 
(Baptist,  weekly),  Philadelphia 

JUVENILE,  GIRLS,  DENOMINATIONAL:  Girl's  World 
(Baptist,  weekly),  Philadelphia 

Cults,  Causes  and  Organizations 

CULTS:  New  Thought — Nautilus,  Holyoke,  Mass. 

SECRET  FRATERNITIES:  F.  and  A.  M. — Masonic  Home 
Journal  (semi-monthly),  Louisville,  Ky. 

PHILANTHROPIC:  American  Red  Cross  Magazine,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. 

HUMANITARIAN  CAUSES:  Our  Dumb  Animals  (S.  P. 
C.  A.),  Boston,  Mass. 

RESTRICTED  CLASSES:  V cilia  Review  (for  the  deaf), 
Washington,  D.  C. 

LABOR,  GENERAL:  Trades  Union  News  (weekly), 
Philadelphia 

LABOR,  SPECIAL  CLASSES:  United  Mine  Workers' 
Journal  (weekly),  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

POLITICAL:  Socialism — The  Masses,  New  York 

NATIONALISTIC:  National  Hibernian,  Washington,  D.  C. 

RACIAL:  Red  Man,  Carlisle,  Pa. 


KINDS  OF  MAGAZINES  17 

Woman  and  the  Home 

GENERAL:  Home  and  Country,  Cincinnati,  Ohio 
MOTHERHOOD:  Mother's  Magazine,  Elgin,  111. 
HOME  MAKING:  Good  Housekeeping,  New  York 
HYGIENE  AND  SANITATION:    The  Healthy  Home,  Athol, 

Mass. 

COOKING:  American  Cookery,  Boston,  Mass. 
HOME    OCCUPATIONS:     Home    Needlework    Magazine, 

Boston,  Mass. 

DRESS  AND  FASHIONS  :   Vogue,  New  York 
BUSINESS  :  Business  Woman's  Magazine,  Newburg,  N.  Y. 
OCCUPATIONS:   Millinery  Trade  Review,  New  York 
CLUB  LIFE:  American  Clubwoman,  New  York 
POLITICAL  LIFE:  The  Woman  Voter,  New  York 
COUNTRY  LIFE:  Country  Life  in  America,  Garden  City, 

L.  I.,  N.  Y. 

Youth  and  Childhood 

YOUTH:  St.  Nicholas,  New  York 
BOYS:  American  Boy,  Detroit,  Mich. 
BOYS,  SPECIAL  FIELD:   Boys'  Life  (Boy  Scouts'  Maga- 
zine), New  York 

SMALL  CHILDREN:  Little  Folks,  Salem,  Mass. 
BABIES:  Baby,  Louisville,  Ky. 

Sectional 

THE  WEST:  Sunset  Magazine,  San  Francisco,  Cal. 
STATE:  Arizona,  Phoenix,  Ariz. 

Miscellany 

PERSONALIA:   Town  Topics,  New  York 


1 8  WRITING  FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 

Special  Interests 

STUDY  AND  INFORMATION:  Journal  of  American  History 
(quarterly),  New  York 

PROPAGANDA:  Liberal  Advocate  (anti-prohibition),  Co- 
lumbus, Ohio 

MATRIMONIAL:  Cupid's  Columns  (bi-monthly),  St. 
Paul,  Minn. 

GOVERNMENT:  American  Municipalities,  Marshall- 
town,  Iowa. 

SAVINGS:  American  Building  Association  News,  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio 


CHAPTER  III 


KINDS  OF  MAGAZINE  MATERIAL 

In  the  chapter  just  preceding,  the  reason  for  resolving 
magazines  into  their  kinds  was  made  clear.  The  purpose 
of  this  short  chapter  is  quite  the  same — to  help  the  journal- 
ist see  how  wide  is  his  field  and  to  warn  him  that  because 
it  is  wide  he  must  shape  each  particular  piece  of  writing  to 
fill  some  special  type  of  magazine  need. 

The  article  that  sprawls  has  but  a  meagre  chance  of 
acceptance.  In  general  magazine  matter,  much  more  than 
in  fictional  material,  the  purpose  and  nature  of  the  com- 
position must  be  definitely  planned  beforehand.  A  school 
boy  may  set  out  to  write  a  composition  without  having  first 
determined  whether  it  is  to  be  of  a  definite  type,  and  yet 
pass  the  test,  for  the  literary  standards  of  the  lower  schools 
cannot  be  exacting,  but  not  so  with  the  magazine  journal- 
ist. He  must  aim,  if  he  would  hit  the  mark  at  all — to  say 
nothing  of  scoring  a  bull's  eye. 

j.  Clear-cut  Purpose  is  Necessary 

It  does  not  seem  to  enter  the  mind  of  the  average  writer 
that  all  successful  magazine  material  is  highly  specialized. 
Whenever  a  really  good  article  shows  more  than  one  type 
the  author  has  so  planned  it.  The  travel  article  may  be 
partly  fictionized,  as  Miss  Anne  Wharton's  and  Mrs. 
Maude  Howe  Elliot's  nearly  always  are,  but  not  because 


20  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

the  author  started  to  write  fiction  and  drifted  into  place- 
description,  or  contrariwise.  With  the  utmost  precision 
the  magazine  writer  must  know  what  he  intends  to  do, 
what  class  of  readers  he  purposes  reaching,  and  what 
means  he  will  use  to  gain  the  result. 

2.  Knowledge  of  Varieties  is  Valuable 

I  have  used  the  word  "valuable"  because  I  mean  that 
such  knowledge  has  commercial  value.  To  know  what 
varieties  of  magazine  material  are  used,  where  they  are 
acceptable,  what  characteristics  mark  them,  what  style  of 
English  is  typical  in  those  forms,  which  kinds  demand 
pictures,  which  do  not,  and  what  lengths  are  popular — 
these  are  questions  which  directly  and  vitally  bear  on  the 
marketing  of  your  material,  and  hence  primarily  affect  its 
preparation  and  writing.  Much  good  material  is  never 
sold  because  the  writer  has  overlooked  one  or  more  of  these 
considerations.  It  is  futile  to  expand  into  a  serious  essay  a 
point  that  demands  merely  one  pungent  paragraph,  just  as 
it  is  hopeless  to  try  to  sell  an  anecdote  that  has  been  padded 
out  into  a  story.  On  the  subject  of  studying  markets  more 
will  be  said  later.1 

j.  Listing  the  Kinds  of  Magazine  Material 

It  is  but  natural  for  the  beginner  to  limit  the  variety  of 
his  output  by  overlooking  special  and  even  obscure  kinds 
of  markets.  A  carefully  kept  note-book2  will  prove  a 

i  See  Chapter  XV. 

8  See  Chapter  IV,  page  36. 


KINDS  OF  MAGAZINE  MATERIAL  21 

revelation,  not  only  in  opening  your  eyes  to  the  minute 
but  important  differences  between  one  sort  of  article  and 
another,  but  in  two  other  ways:  in  suggesting  markets 
for  hitherto  unsalable  ideas,  and  in  recalling  forgotten 
facts. 

In  this  and  succeeding  chapters  attention  is  given  to  the 
broad  types  of  magazine  material,  but  you  should  re- 
member that  under  each  are  almost  countless  sub- varieties, 
one  or  many  of  which  may  open  up  to  you  lucrative  fields. 
Make  your  list  of  types  and  sub-types  as  full  as  you  pos- 
sibly can. 

Here  let  me  repeat  that  the  daily  newspaper  must  not  be 
forgotten  when  we  consider  magazine  material.  As  we 
have  seen,  many  odd  corners  of  the  newspapers  contain 
magazine  matter,  as  well  as  the  so-called  magazine  pages. 
True,  much  of  this  "stuff"  is  clipped,  with  or  without 
credit,  but  all  such  items  originated  somewhere,  therefore 
you  will  find  it  profitable  to  hunt  out  the  markets — 
marketing  is  a  prime  essential  for  the  journalist;  too  much 
care  cannot  be  given  to  the  study. 

4.  Versatility  is  Essential 

Most  young  writers  make  the  mistake  of  specializing 
too  early — they  begin  to  build  their  house  at  the  roof- 
tree. 

Upon  reflection  we  shall  see  that  specializing  is  of  two 
kinds :  we  may  specialize  in  the  sense  of  limiting  our  output 
to  a  particular  kind  of  writing.  Without  doubt  this  leads 
at  last  to  the  highest  efficiency,  but  it  is  not  a  safe  practice 


22  WRITING   FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

for  the  tyro.  The  other  sort  of  specializing  is  one  of  idea. 
In  it  the  writer  narrows  his  immediate  subject  to  a  definite 
phase  of  a  broad  question,  and  then  does  the  same  when  he 
takes  up  another  subject,  which  is  likely  to  be  in  an  entirely 
different  field.  This  sort  of  intensive  work  in  an  extensive 
field  furnishes  facility,  and  a  broader  chance  of  acceptances 
— which  are  the  staff  of  life. 

It  may  be  plain,  then,  that  the  ability  to  write  with 
_  '  special  knowledge  on  a  large  variety  of  interesting  subjects 
is  the  foundation  of  journalistic  success.  It  will  be  time 
enough  for  you  to  limit  your  thought  to  one  field  when  you 
have  won  a  hearing  for  yourself  in  many  minor  ways. 
There  is  no  harm,  and  much  good,  in  having  a  specialty  in 
which  you  are  perfecting  yourself  all  the  while  you  are  gain- 
ing a  variety  of  outlets  for  your  pen- work;  indeed,  most 
successful  journalists  have  followed  this  course;  but  it  is 
certainly  unwise  to  neglect  the  slightest  decent  chance  to 
get  into  print.  Be  alert  to  open  every  door,  though  it  lead 
only  to  the  sale  of  a  jingle,  a  jest,  or  the  report  of  a  domestic 
discovery.  In  this  way  you  will  learn  where  magazine 
editors  hang  their  keys,  and  win  a  sympathetic  reading  for 
your  larger  efforts  later. 

To  be  sure,  we  must  all  recognize  our  limitations.  It 
would  be  folly  to  insist,  for  the  mere  sake  of  variety,  on 
making  ourselves  write  the  sorts  of  stuff  for  which  we  are 
totally  unfitted  by  equipment,  opportunity  and  interest. 
There  are  plenty  of  openings  without  committing  this 
absurdity.  Let  a  sense  of  fitness  dictate  what  types  of 
writing  you  essay,  yet  do  not  hesitate  because  either  the 
field  or  the  present  reward  seems  negligible. 


KINDS   OF   MAGAZINE   MATERIAL  23 

5.  Devising  New  Kinds  of  Material 

The  welcome  caller  is  the  one  who  enters  an  editor's 
office  with  a  workable  new  idea.  Many  chances  to  one,  he 
will  be  given  an  opportunity  to  demonstrate  its  merit  by 
submitting  at  least  one  finished  article.  Now  and  then  an 
editor  will  suggest  an  idea  for  a  series  of  shorter  or  longer 
articles  to  a  staff  writer,  or  to  some  outside  writer  whose 
work  is  known;  occasionally  he  will  give  an  out-and-out 
assignment  to  a  prominent  writer  to  do  one  or  more  articles 
of  a  given  kind;  but  really  most  of  the  ideas  for  fresh  types 
of  magazine  material  are  brought  to  the  editor  by  a  member 
of  his  staff  or  sent  by  some  outside  writer,  whether  green  or 
seasoned. 

It  should  be  obvious  that  this  search  for  fresh  ideas  is  the 
gist  of  journalism.  It  must  be  equally  plain  that  with  such 
an  idea  one's  chances  of  success  are  largely  increased.1 

Many  times  an  alert  journalist  will  seize  upon  an  idea 
which  has  been  used  once  or  twice  and  then  discarded.  He 
will  expand  the  idea  into  a  series,  submit  a  few  specimens, 
and  receive  an  order  for  a  given  number.  Study  the 
variety  of  material  printed  everywhere  serially  by  Albert 
Payson  Terhune  and  Frederic  J.  Haskin — all  is  magazine 
material,  in  the  sense  that  it  is  neither  news  matter  nor 
editorial,  and  all  is  evidence  of  how  a  single  fresh  idea,  or  an 
old  idea  popularized,  may  be  submitted  with  good  chances 
of  success  if  backed  by  enough  ability  to  present  the  ideas 
tersely  and  readably. 

1  See  Chapter  XV  for  suggestions  on  how  to  bring  ideas  to  the 
attention  of  the  editor. 


24  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

The  time-honored  injunction  of  Sir  Philip  Sydney  ap- 
plies here  as  elsewhere:  "Look  in  thine  heart  and  write." 
When  you  see  a  thing  that  interests  you  it  will  interest 
others.  But  if  that  were  all,  we  should  every  one  be  suc- 
cessful journalists.  When  the  idea  lays  hold  upon  you, 
begin  to  question  yourself.  Questioning  is  the  essence  of 
invention.  Is  the  idea  fresh?  No.  Who  has  worked  it  up 
before?  Oh,  many  have.  Is  it  quite  worked  out?  Not  at 
all,  for  one  phase  of  it  has  been  slurred  over  or  overlooked 
entirely.  Very  well,  there  is  your  chance! 

But  can  that  neglected  phase  of  the  subject  be  made 
interesting  enough  to  swing  an  article,  or  even  a  series? 
Yes.  Will  one  article  be  enough  to  exhaust  interest?  By 
no  means.  Then  how  long  a  series,  and  how  many  words — 
now  you  are  planning  in  earnest,  and  you  will  not  give  up 
until  the  plan  is  roughed  out,  its  weak  points  either  cut  out 
or  strengthened,  and  the  first  article  written. 

It  was  precisely  in  this  way  that  a  well-known  series  of 
health  articles  for  popular  magazines  was  conceived  and 
sold.  Baseball  articles,  household  economics,  styles  of 
men's  dress,  social  etiquette  series,  sermonettes,  articles 
instructing  in  arts,  crafts  and  sports — an  untold  variety 
of  strictly  magazine  and  newspaper-magazine  material — 
have  been  so  devised,  and  similar  yet  fresh  ideas  are  in 
constant  demand.  The  field  is  the  world,  with  all  its  con- 
tents, seen  and  unseen. 

6.  Broad  Classes  of  Material 
When  you  make  your  list  of  kinds  of  material,  suppose 


KINDS   OF   MAGAZINE   MATERIAL  25 

you  do  so  under  the  following  general  divisions,  and  then, 
as  has  been  suggested,  under  each  add  as  many  sub-kinds 
as  you  have  observed  or  can  invent.  It  will  be  seen  at 
once  that  many  magazine  articles  touch  more  than  one  of 
these  divisions,  but  one  type  is  certain  to  be  predominant, 
thus  placing  the  material  decidedly  in  one  class. 

(a)  Anecdotes 

(b)  Jests 

(c)  Humorous  and  Satirical  Sketches 

(d)  Information-Items 

(e)  Editorials  and  Interpretations 

(f)  Travel  and  Outdoors  Articles 

(g)  Articles  of  Methods  and  Information 

(h)  Inspirational  and  Human-Interest  Articles 
(i)    Essays  and  Discussions 
(j)   Criticisms  and  Reviews 
(k)  Poetry  and  Verse 
(1)    Fiction  and  Drama 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  What    do    you    understand    by    an    article    that 
"sprawls?" 

2.  Try    to    find    a    magazine   contribution    that    is 
weakened  by  not  aiming  at  one  definite  effect. 

3.  Point  out  how  it  could  have  been  bettered., 

4.  If  the  article  is  a  short  one,  revise  it. 

5 .  Give  an  example  of  magazine  material  that  effectively 
touches  more  than  one  type. 


26  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

6.  Which  type  predominates? 

7.  May  a  writer  hurt  his  work  by  rigidly  conforming 
his  material  to  one  type? 

8.  Mark  in  a  newspaper  those  articles  which  may  be 
classed  as  magazine  material.    Do  not  include  editorials, 
paragraphs,  jests,  or  verse. 

9.  What  are  the  dangers  of  early  specialization  in 
writing? 

10.  What  are  the  benefits? 

11.  Try  to  suggest  a  fresh  idea  for  a  magazine  article 
on  a  subject  with  which  you  are  familiar  or  on  which  you 
know  where  to  get  fresh  material. 

12.  Suggest  the  manner  of  treatment,  length,  and  type 
of  magazine  into  which  you  think  it  would  fit. 

13.  Select  from  any  periodical  an  article  which  contains 
an  idea  for  a  series. 

14.  Apply  the  method  of  questioning  given  on  page  24. 

15.  Rough  out  the  series,  but,  as  yet,  do  not  write  in 
full. 

1 6.  Add  any  general  classes  you  can  to  the  tentative 
list  given  on  page  25. 

17.  Add  all  the  sub-classes  possible  under  each. 

18.  Begin  a  large  note-book,  or  a  card  index,  allowing 
plenty  of  space  to  each  class  and  sub-class  of  magazine 
material  so  that  theme-suggestions  may  be  inserted  from 
time  to  time.     Give  special  space  to  those  subjects  and 
kinds  of  material  that  interest  you  most.    This  subject 
will  be  expanded  in  the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  SOURCES  OF  MAGAZINE  MATERIAL 

Until  we  are  confronted  by  the  problem  of  finding  many 
different  things  to  write  about,  and  each  fresh  enough  to 
command  a  market,  it  is  well  enough  to  wait  for  ideas  to 
suggest  themselves,  but  earlier  or  later  we  find  that  themes 
do  not  pop  into  mind  with  regularity  enough,  and  when 
they  do  come  are  not  of  sufficiently  general  interest  to 
meet  our  needs.  Then  there  remains  only  one  thing  to 
do — we  must  put  ourselves  in  the  way  of  getting  fresh  ideas. 
If  we  set  about  this  intelligently  it  will  prove  to  be  not  a 
difficult  matter.  It  is,  however,  far  removed  from  the 
peaceful  practice  of  twiddling  the  thumbs. 

i.  The  Specific  Sources  of  Material 

(a)  Experience  is  the  first  and  most  important  spring  of  \ 
ideas.  Unless  we  drink  from  its  refreshing  waters  the  / 
mind  becomes  jaded  and  refuses  to  invent. 

But  how  shall  we  gain  experience?  If  we  can  afford  to 
wait,  it  will  come;  but  most  of  us  find  that  when  ex- 
perience does  not  visit  us  we  must  scrape  acquaintance. 
"Down  among  men,"  not  secluded  in  a  book-lined  study, 
life  moves  with  color  and  deep  breath.  Where  men  plan 
and  battle  and  scheme  and  suffer  and  fail  and  achieve, 
experience  has  her  haunts. 

This  is  not  to  say  that  the  life  of  ordinary  duties  does  not 


28  WRITING  FOR   THE  MAGAZINES 

furnish  experiences  worth  recording,  even  adventures  the 
most  thrilling.  It  does;  but  the  magazine  writer  must  be 
something  of  a  dramatist,  and  train  himself  to  see  in  the 
commonplace  those  hinge-situations  which  are  big  with 
meaning  to  those  who  read  his  words.  We  must  come  to 
see  in  our  lives  what  that  great  American  maker  of  plays 
who  went  down  with  the  Lusitania  cheerfully  said  that  he 
saw  in  death,  "a  beautiful  adventure."  Mary  E.  Wilkins 
Freeman  found  in  the  quiet  of  New  England  village  life 
plenty  of  rich  material. 

To  use  experience  in  journalism  is  to  capitalize  self — 
and  others.  It  is  to  probe  among  men  and  things  till  we 
find  the  hidden  nerve  ganglia  which  are  the  sources  of 
significant  action;  it  is  to  gather  and  compare,  to  weigh 
and  contrast,  until  the  truly  vital  facts  of  what  we  see  are 
understood.  By  our  own  experiences  we  learn  to  know 
others.  With  all  your  getting,  get  experience — then  store 
and  use  it. 

The  most  sheltered  lives  have  known  literatesque  ex- 
periences and  may  gain  more.  Question  yourself:  What 
have  I  seen?  Where  have  I  been?  What  have  I  been? 
What  have  I  felt?  What  have  I  done?  What  have  I 
heard?  Whom  have  I  known?  The  past,  the  present,  the 
possible  future — no  one  can  lack  experience  who  draws  a 
conscious  breath. 

Experience  may  come,  or  be  invited,  in  ways  common  or 
uncommon.  You  may  throw  away  your  street  car  ticket — 
a  sort  of  receipt  check — as  Mark  Twain  did  fifteen  times  in 
Berlin;  or  go  out  without  a  dollar  to  earn  a  living  after  the 
manner  of  Professor  Wyckoff,  of  Princeton,  and  so  give  the 


THE  SOURCES  OF  MAGAZINE  MATERIAL       2  9 

world  another  volume  like  "The  Workers;"  or  work  in  a 
southern  cotton  mill  like  Marie  Van  Vorst;  or  cruise  the 
oceans  in  a  little  boat  like  Jack  London;  or  shoot  the 
rapids  on  a  raft  that  is  sure  to  be  wrecked  as  did  Caroline 
Lockhart;  or  just  dig  to  the  bottom  of  the  one  subject  that 
interests  you — anyhow,  in  the  most  prudent  or  the  most 
daring  how,  only  somehow,  live,  and  you  will  have  opened 
the  great  mine  of  material.  Your  next  holiday,  your  next 
vacation,  even  your  next  day's  work  will  open  up  some- 
thing worth  while.  What  you  will,  you  can. 

(b)  Observation  is  the  second  source-spring  of  material, 
and  it  really  is  a  part  of  what  we  have  just  been  con- 
sidering— Experience.    To  observe  means  less  to  look  at 
things  than  to  look  into  .them.    An  owl  does  the  one;  a 
scientist  the  other.    Think  of  the  suggestions  to  be  found 
merely  in  the  guide  book  to  any  great  city.    Look.    Look 
often.    Look  long.    Look  accurately.    Look  understand- 
ingly.    Look  with  the  purpose  of  writing.    Never  say  there 
is  nothing  new  to  write  of  so  long  as  you  have  one  eye  left. 
And  when  that  is  gone  there  still  remains  the  greater  eye 
of  the  mind. 

(c)  Thought  and  Reflection  should  be  coupled  as  sources 
of  material.    After  we  have  thought  ourselves  into  and 
around  a  subject — and  remember  that  to  think  means  to 
see  a  thing  as  it  is,  to  weigh  it  in  its  relations,  and  to  formu- 
late a  statement  or  a  conclusion  concerning  it — we  must 
give  ourselves  over  to  reflection.    This  process  of  re-imag- 
ing ideas — which  are  the  raw  materials  of  thought — is  a 
sort  of  nitration.    Train  yourself  to  do  this  and  the  clear 
waters  will  be  worth  bottling  for  public  consumption. 


30  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

Most  thought-reflection  comes  short  of  being  valuable 
because  it  stops  with  a  single  phase  of  a  subject,  or  at  most 
with  an  unrelated  number  of  such  phases.  But  the  suc- 
cessful writer  persists  in  thought  on  one  line  until  he  has  a 
tested  chain.  This  is  consecutive  thinking — one  tried  link 
is  welded  to  another  until  the  series  is  sound  and  complete; 
it  is  the  only  thinking  that  is  likely  to  produce  material  fit 
to  print.  However  light  and  airy  may  be  your  literary 
purpose — for  a  chain  may  be  of  gossamer  or  fit  to  stay  a 
super-dreadnought — still  must  your  thinking  form  a  chain, 
with  each  link  sound,  set  unobtrusively  in  its  place,  and  all 
making  up  an  adequate  whole.  "  Information  consists  of  a 
fact,  or  a  group  of  facts;  knowledge  is  organized  infor- 
mation— knowledge  knows  a  fact  in  relation  to  other 
facts."  1 

(d)  Imagination  is  an  expansion  of  reflection.  Yet  it  is 
a  thing  most  vital.  In  the  conduct  of  armies,  in  playing  a 
game,  in  planning  a  business,  in  conceiving  an  article,  in 
composing  a  sonnet,  imagination  is  a  prime  factor.  "The 
human  race,"  declared  Napoleon,  "is  governed  by  its 
imagination."2 

Imagination — by  which  we  mean  both  the  faculty  and 
the  process  of  making  mental  images — is  either  reproduc- 
tive or  productive.  By  the  one  we  recall  what  we  have 
once  seen  or  imaged;  by  the  other  we  invent,  with  such 
material  as  our  beings  possess.  No  faculty  of  the  writer  is 

1  The  Art  of  Public  Speaking. 

2  For  a  fuller  treatment  of  Imagination,  see  the  chapter  entitled 
"Riding  the  Winged  Horse,"  in  The  Art  of  Public  Speaking,  by 
J.  Berg  Esenwein  and  Dale  Carnagey,  published  uniform  with 
this  volume  in  "The  Writer's  Library." 


THE   SOURCES   OF   MAGAZINE   MATERIAL  3! 

more  closely  related  to  his  success,  and  none,  therefore,  is 
better  worth  cultivating. 

(e)  Conversation.    I  was  once  closely  associated  with  a 
well-known  college  president  who  constantly  educated  him- 
self  by  asking  questions.    He  was  a  good-hearted  vampire. 
Upon  every  specialist  who  came  within  reach  he  fastened 
his  eye,  and  began  to  question.    The  range  of  that  man's 
practical  knowledge  was  amazing.     In  consequence,  his 
chapel  talks  day  by  day  were  packed  with  the  most 
fascinating  up-to-the-moment  information  of  what  worth- 
while men  were  doing  and  thinking  in  a  thousand  fields. 
What  a  writer  he  would  have  made,  had  he  not  chosen  the 
task  of  training  men  more  directly! 

The  secret  of  the  reporter's  power  is  not  to  frighten  the 
birds.  John  Burroughs  sits  out  in  the  woods  near  "  Slab- 
sides,"  his  study,  and  moves  not  at  all  until  the  wild  crea- 
tures come  and  twitter  to  him  their  secrets.  So  must  the 
interviewer  get  close  to  those  whom  he  would  cause  to 
talk;  so  must  you  and  I  identify  our  interests  with  those 
whose  knowledge  we  would  tap  for  material.  But  this 
interest  can  no  more  be  feigned  than  Mr.  Burroughs  could 
pretend  to  be  harmless  among  the  wild  folk.  Human 
lives  have  marvelous  things  to  disclose,  but  they  are  not 
likely  to  reveal  them  to  one  whose  curiosity  outsteps  his 
sympathy. 

(f)  Reading  is  a  great  yet  often  a  dangerous  source  of 
magazine  material,  because  so  few  are  willing  to  make  it 
merely  complementary  to,  instead  of  the  substance  of, 
what  they  write.    The  writer  should  use  books  for  three 
purposes  only:  First,  to  feed  his  whole  life  of  thought,  feel- 


32  WRITING  FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

ing,  and  pleasure;  second,  to  inform  himself;  third,  to 
stimulate  his  invention. 

The  first  two  purposes  have  been  treated  by  a  thousand 
advisers;  the  last  needs  a  word  or  two  here. 

It  is  unsafe  to  read  merely  to  accept.  In  the  process  of 
testing  the  statements  of  an  author,  we  think.  Read 
Ruskin,  for  example,  or  Carlyle,  or  Emerson,  and  you  are 
helped  more  by  what  you  are  able  to  deny  than  by  what 
you  can  quickly  affirm.  Let  a  great  writer  once  arouse 
you  to  protest  and  you  have  won  to  something  golden — 
a  thought  of  your  own.  But — read  not  only  to  deny. 

"  Unsuspected  treasures  lie  in  the  smallest  library.  Even 
when  the  owner  has  read  every  last  page  of  his  books  it  is 
only  in  rare  instances  that  he  has  full  indexes  to  all  of  them, 
either  in  his  mind  or  on  paper,  so  as  to  make  available  the 
vast  number  of  varied  subjects  touched  upon  or  treated  in 
volumes  whose  titles  would  never  suggest  such  topics. 

"For  this  reason  it  is  a  good  thing  to  take  an  odd  hour 
now  and  then  to  browse.  Take  down  one  volume  after 
another  and  look  over  its  table  of  contents  and  its  index. 
(It  is  a  reproach  to  any  author  of  a  serious  book  not  to 
have  provided  a  full  index,  with  cross  references.)  Then 
glance  over  the  pages,  making  notes,  mental  or  physical,  of 
material  that  looks  interesting  and  usable.  Most  libraries 
contain  volumes  that  the  owner  is  *  going  to  read  some 
day/  A  familiarity  with  even  the  contents  of  such  books 
on  your  own  shelves  will  enable  you  to  refer  to  them  when 
you  want  help.  Writings  read  long  ago  should  be  treated 
in  the  same  way — in  every  chapter  some  surprise  lurks  to 
delight  you. 


THE   SOURCES   OF   MAGAZINE   MATERIAL  33 

"In  looking  up  a  subject  do  not  be  discouraged  if  you 
do  not  find  it  indexed  or  outlined  in  the  table  of  contents — 
you  are  sure  to  discover  some  material  under  a  related 
title. 

"Suppose  you  set  to  work  somewhat  in  this  way  to 
gather  references  on  'Thinking' :  First  you  look  over  your 
book  titles,  and  there  is  Schaeffer's  'Thinking  and  Learning 
to  Think.7  Near  it  is  Kramer's  'Talks  to  Students  on  the 
Art  of  Study'  — that  seems  likely  to  provide  some  material, 
and  it  does.  Naturally  you  think  next  of  your  book  on 
psychology,  and  there  is  help  there.  If  you  have  a  volume 
on  the  human  intellect  you  will  have  already  turned  to  it. 
Suddenly  you  remember  your  encyclopedia  and  your 
dictionary  of  quotations — and  now  material  fairly  rains 
upon  you ;  the  problem  is  what  not  to  use.  In  the  encyclo- 
pedia you  turn  to  every  reference  that  includes  or  touches 
or  even  suggests  'Thinking;'  and  in  the  dictionary  of 
quotations  you  do  the  same.  The  latter  volume  you  find 
peculiarly  helpful  because  it  suggests  several  volumes  to 
you  that  are  on  your  own  shelves — you  never  would  have 
thought  to  look  in  them  for  references  on  this  subject. 
Even  fiction  will  supply  help,  but  especially  books  of 
essays  and  biography.  Be  aware  of  your  own  resources. 

"To  make  a  general  index  to  your  library  does  away 
with  the  necessity  for  indexing  individual  volumes  that 
are  not  already  indexed."  *  It  will  literally  multiply  the 
value  of  your  library.  How  this  may  be  done  is  explained 
on  page  39. 

There  is  one  sort  of  book  that  especially  awakens  ideas — 

1  The  Art  of  Public  Speaking. 


34  WRITING   FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 

the  curious,  old,  out-of-the-way  volume  containing  facts 
which  start  you  to  thinking.  The  library  of  every  man  of 
letters  contains  a  number  of  such  interesting  books.  For 
years  he  may  have  been  promising  himself  to  write  an 
article  on  the  origin  of  names — the  idea  came  from  an 
obscure  book  by  Charlotte  M.  Yonge. 

Then,  a  youth's  magazine  might  gladly  accept  some 
stories  of  the  ant-folk — Dr.  McCook  knew  all  about  them 
and  put  his  knowledge  into  a  little-known  volume.  Here 
now  is  a  book  on  mediaeval  armament  which  is  full  of 
suggestions  for  a  feature  article  comparing  the  old  with  the 
modern,  and  showing  the  present  astonishing  revival  of 
old  means  of  defense  and  offense. 

The  second-hand  book  stalls  and  the  city  libraries  teem 
with  magazine  material  which  may  be  marketed  if  we  are 
willing  to  add  to  our  reading  a  final  supreme  source  of 
information: 

(g)  Research.  When  Miss  Ida  Tarbell  was  commis- 
sioned by  Mr.  S.  S.  McClure  to  write  a  life  of  Lincoln  she 
was  not  content  to  read  books — she  went  to  original 
documents  at  home  and  abroad.  Professor  William 
Sloane's  "Life  of  Napoleon"  is  authoritative  because  he 
dug  and  dug  and  dug  again  until  he  had  unearthed  what 
other  less  patient  diggers  had  not  reached. 

Some  time  ago  an  ambitious  young  lady  came  to  me  for 
help.  She  could  write,  but  what  should  she  write? 

"  What  do  you  know?"    I  asked. 

Ceramics,  it  appeared.  But  the  market  for  such  material 
did  not  seem  to  be  wide.  Presently  she  remarked  that  nowa- 
days it  was  not  necessary  to  go  to  Europe  for  fine  pottery— 


THE   SOURCES   OF   MAGAZINE   MATERIAL  35 

it  was  now  "made  in  America."  So  here  was  an  idea.  I 
told  her  to  make  a  list  of  several  similar  things — conversa- 
tion with  acquaintances  soon  expanded  the  number  to 
about  a  dozen — which  were  now  made  in  America.  These 
she  prepared  carefully  and  in  a  bright,  chatty  way  gave  all 
the  popular  information  she  could  gather  on  how  the  things 
were  made;  showed  how  America  is  preparing  to  do  them 
better  than  ever  before,  and  submitted  the  idea  to  the 
magazine  section  of  a  certain  Sunday  newspaper.  The 
first  article  on  pottery  was  satisfactory,  and  an  order  for 
the  series  was  forthcoming. 

It  is  mere  platitude  to  say  that  fields  of  this  sort  are  un- 
ending. Look  patiently  and  with  an  eye  to  popular  in- 
terest until  you  find  the  field,  dig  into  it  until  you  are  sure 
you  have  found  facts  which  are  not  commonly  known, 
vitalize  those  facts  by  connecting  them  with  some  human 
interest,  dress  the  ideas  in  the  most  fascinating  form  you 
can,  and  you  have  an  article.  This  first  effort  may  not  sell 
but  if  beneath  your  hat  a  writer  walks,  you  will  sell  your 
material  before  long. 

Not  the  least  valuable  part  of  such  research  work  is  the 
by-product  of  information.  The  miner  does  not  confine  him- 
self to  the  main  leads,  but  notes  the  side- veins  and  pockets — 
after  a  while  he  will  possess  himself  of  these  treasures  also, 
and  at  last  he  will  even  rob  the  pillars.  A  study  of  the  tree 
may  lead  you  to  an  article  on  the  habits  of  the  parasite. 
An  article  on  paper  may  suggest  an  item  on  economy. 
Consideration  of  physical  training  methods  may  uncover  a 
recipe  for  a  home-made  liniment. 


36  WRITING   FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 

2.     Conserving  Material 

The  memory  is  an  indispensable  part  of  every  writer's 
equipment,  but  some  day  it  will  surely  develop  a  leak. 
Therefore  early  form 

(a)  The  Note-Book  Habit.  Strange  as  it  may  seem, 
many  young  writers  do  not  know  how  to  keep  a  note- 
book. Most  writers  are  content  with  any  style  of  blank 
book  small  enough  to  be  convenient,  but  the  more  methodi- 
cal use  the  loose-leaf  sort,  both  because  any  given  section 
may  be  expanded  indefinitely,  thus  giving  assurance  that 
the  arrangement  will  never  become  disordered,  and  for  the 
more  important  reason  that  individual  leaves  may  be  de- 
tached and  filed  in  one  of  the  ways  presently  to  be  explained. 

Suppose  you  attend  a  lecture  and  hear  a  striking  state- 
ment. You  may  note  it  thus: 

In  lecturing  on  "Aids  to  Memory"  Professor  Hart  said  that 
we  forget  the  things  (a)  to  which  we  do  not  pay  close  attention, 
(b)  which  do  not  interest  us,  and  (c)  which  are  crowded  out  of 
our  minds  by  more  pressing  matters. 

To  this  you  may  wish  to  add  a  reflection  of  your  own,  as: 

Why  does  association  of  ideas  tend  to  intensify  the  original 
fact  to  be  remembered  instead  of  switching  the  memory  to 
the  lesser  idea  or  fact? 

Or  you  may  merely  note  a  bit  of  information: 

Magazine  Circulation 

Five  American  periodicals  (1916)  have  reached  a  circulation 
of  two  millions  each. 


THE   SOURCES   OF   MAGAZINE   MATERIAL  37 

To  this  you  may  want  to  add  their  names,  circulations, 
and  other  data. 

Examine  Hawthorne's  "American  Note-Book"  to  see 
how  he  set  down  plot-ideas  for  stories,  names  of  charac- 
ters, details  of  their  dress,  chance  phrases,  bits  of  possible 
dialogue,  and  the  like.  Even  if  his  book  is  not  accessible 
to  you,  the  practice  is. 

(b)  The  Vest-Pocket  Card.    It  is  a  good  plan  to  carry  in 
the  pocket  or  the  hand-bag  a  number  of  cards  or  papers 
perforated  to  fit  the  small  loose-leaf  note-book,  or  at  least 
suitable  for  the  card  index.    In  this  way  ideas  may  be  pre- 
vented from  taking  wing. 

(c]  Filing  Systems.    The  greatest  weakness  of  the  ordi- 
nary note-book  is  that  once  the  idea  is  set  down  it  is  liable 
to  be  lost  from  lack  of  indexing.    Various  devices  have 
been  successfully  used  to  overcome  this  difficulty,  which 
inheres  in  the  paste-in  scrap  book  even  more  annoyingly 
than  in  the  note-book,  whose  loose-leaf  arrangement  may 
be  readily  alphabetized.    Yet,  in  either  kind  of  book,  cut- 
tings and  notes  soon  become  too  bulky  for  inclusion  in  one 
small  volume.    Then  the  literary  worker  begins  to  con- 
sider a  practicable  filing  system,  and  of  these  there  are 
several  of  merit.    Three,  however,  are  worth  describing 
here. 

(1)  The  Pocket  System  is  a  loose-leaf  home-made 
scheme,  and  is  made  thus:  In  any  cover  designed  to  re- 
ceive loose  leaves — preferably  leaves  of  letter  size  (8j^  x 
ii  inches) — fix  any  number  of  sheets  of  very  heavy,  tough 
paper  of  a  surface  unglazed  and  sufficiently  rough  to  take 


38  WRITING   FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

mucilage  readily.  These  heavy  sheets,  of  course,  must  be 
pierced  so  as  to  fit  into  the  loose-leaf  binder. 

Cut  strips  of  strong  but  rather  thin  paper,  such  as  a  good 
bond,  to  a  uniform  size  of  seven  by  two  and  three-eighths 
(7  x  2^3  inches) .  Gum  three  edges — one  long  edge  and  the 
two  shorter  edges — of  each  strip  to  a  width  of  about  three- 
eighths  of  an  inch,  using  a  strong,  permanent  mucilage. 
Then  paste  the  four  strips  of  paper,  one  above  the  other — 
I  do  not  mean  on  top  of  each  other — on  each  large  sheet  or 
leaf,  allowing  the  upper,  ungummed,  edge  of  the  horizontal 
strip  to  remain  open.  Be  sure  to  place  the  strips  within  a 
fraction  of  an  inch  of  the  right-hand  margin  of  the  leaf,  for 
the  left  margin  will  be  perforated  for  binding;  and  do  not 
place  the  top  pocket  too  close  to  the  upper  margin. 

You  now  have  made  four  pockets  on  each  sheet,  the  in- 
side of  each  pocket  being  about  two  inches  deep  and  about 
six  inches  wide.  You  may  make  two  narrower  pockets  in- 
stead of  one  out  of  each  strip  by  running  a  line  of  gum  down 
the  center  of  the  strip,  as  it  is  fixed  horizontally  to  the  leaf. 

These  pockets  may  be  used  as  receptacles  for  cuttings  or 
notes,  and  may  be  self-indexed  by  allowing  the  headings  to 
protrude  above  the  pocket,  or  the  face  of  the  pocket  itself 
may  be  indexed  with  its  contents. 

This  is  not  a  cheap  system,  by  any  means,  and  entails 
some  trouble,  unless  you  wish  to  pay  someone  to  prepare 
the  pockets  for  you,  but  it  is  a  very  handy  scheme  for  filing. 

(2)  The  Envelope  System  consists  of  simply  a  set  of 
small,  tough  envelopes  filed  alphabetically  by  guide  cards, 
lettered  on  the  exposed  tab,  and  kept  in  a  desk  drawer,  a 


THE   SOURCES   OF   MAGAZINE   MATERIAL  39 

box,  or  a  filing  cabinet.  In  these  envelopes  are  kept  both 
cuttings  and  notes,  and  the  face  of  the  envelope  —  written 
upon  in  the  same  direction  as  when  one  addresses  a  letter 
—  serves  to  index  its  contents. 

Filed  alphabetically  in  the  same  series  as  the  envelopes 
may  be  cards,  cut  to  the  same  size,  on  which  notes  and 
library  references  have  been  made.  The  method  of  making 
library  references  will  be  explained  presently. 

Very  large  scrap  collections  are  usually  made  in  larger 
envelopes  than  are  recommended  for  ordinary  use. 

(3)  The  Card  Index  Rerum  is  a  variation  of  the  fore- 
going and  has  the  advantage  of  compactness,  though  refer- 
ence is  not  so  rapid. 

Socialist 

»  (b 


IP* 


On  the  card  just  illustrated,  clippings  are  indexed  by 
giving  the  numbers  of  the  envelope  in  which  they  are  filed. 
The  envelopes  may  be  of  any  size  desired,  or  even  of  vary- 
ing size,  as  may  be  needed,  and  kept  in  any  convenient 
receptacle.  The  essential  thing  is  that  each  envelope 
must  be  numbered  and  kept  in  its  numerical  place.  On 
the  foregoing  example,  "Progress  of  S.,  Envelope  16," 


40  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

will  represent  a  clipping,  filed  in  Envelope  16,  which  of 
course  has  been  numbered  arbitrarily. 

The  fractions  on  the  card  refer  to  books  in  your  library — 
the  numerator  being  the  book-number,  the  denominator 
referring  to  the  page.  Thus,  "S.  a  fallacy  ^iV  refers  to 
page  210  of  volume  96  in  your  library.  By  some  arbitrary 
sign — say  by  using  red  ink — you  may  index  a  reference  to  a 
public  library  book. 

If  you  preserve  your  magazines,  important  articles  may 
be  indexed  by  month  and  year.  An  entire  volume  on  a 
subject  may  be  indicated,  like  the  (imaginary)  book  by 
"Forbes."  If  you  clip  the  articles,  it  is  better  to  index 
them  by  number,  according  to  the  envelope  system  you 
have  adopted. 

Your  own  writings  and  notes  may  be  filed  in  envelopes 
with  the  cuttings  or  in  a  separate  series  and  indexed  in  the 
same  way  as  the  cuttings. 

When  your  cards  accumulate  so  as  to  make  ready  ref- 
erence difficult  under  a  single  alphabet,  you  may  subdivide 
each  letter  by  subordinate  guide  cards  marked  by  the 
vowels,  A,  E,  I,  O,  U.  Thus.  "  Antiquities  "  would  be  filed 
in  A,  under  Ai,  because  A  begins  the  word,  while  the  second 
letter  of  the  word,  n,  comes  after  the  vowel  i  in  the  alphabet 
yet  before  the  next  vowel,  o.  In  the  same  manner, 
"  Beecher  "  would  be  filed  under  Be,  in  B ;  and  "  Hydrogen" 
would  come  under  Hu,  in  H. 

The  cards  referred  to  in  "(2)  The  Envelope  System" 
may,  of  course,  be  made  to  bear  both  notes  and  library 
references,  or  so  may  the  faces  of  the  envelopes.  How- 
ever, it  would  seem  that  the  better  way  is  to  use  cards 


THE   SOURCES   OF   MAGAZINE   MATERIAL  41 

or  bits  of  stiff  paper  for  notes  and  library  references,  and 
envelopes  for  cuttings,  small  pamphlets  and  manuscripts. 
Whether  the  envelopes  should  be  filed  numerically,  with 
their  numbers  endorsed  on  the  alphabetized  cards  for 
reference,  or  filed  together  with  the  cards  in  one  alpha- 
betical arrangement,  is  solely  a  matter  for  personal 
choice. 

j.  Using  the  Work  of  Others 

A  single  word  of  caution  must  be  set  down  against  poach- 
ing on  anyone's  preserves.  Clip  and  note  all  you  will,  but 
fix  in  your  mind  the  truth  that  by  reading  too  much  when 
you  are  collecting  material,  or  by  using  facts  almost  ex- 
clusively garnered  from  note-books,  you  will  strangle  your 
own  ability  to  invent.  The  writer  who  dares  to  use  his  own 
ideas  may  arrive  more  slowly  than  the  ingenious  but  un- 
scrupulous imitator,  but  when  he  arrives  he  will  remain, 
while  the  literary  copyist — not  to  say  thief — will  be  cast 
out.  Use  no  material  that  you  have  not  first  made  so 
thoroughly  your  own  that  it  has  been  assimilated  and  made 
a  part  of  your  equipment.  Then  be  sure  to  express  it  in 
your  own  words — or  quote  and  give  credit. 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Set  down  as  many  subjects  for  articles  as  "pop  into 
your  head"  in  ten  minutes. 

2.  Mark  those  of  which  you  are  conscious  of  having 
thought  before. 

3.  Did  you  notice  a  tendency  to  think  of  too  broad  a 


42  WRITING   FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 

subject  to  admit  of  satisfactory  treatment  in  a  single 
article? 

4.  If  so,  select  one  such  broad  subject  and  narrow  it 
until  you  have  a  specific  subject. 

5.  Name  one  kind  of  experience  that  seems  to  possess 
value  as  magazine  material. 

6.  Outline  briefly  how  it  might  be  treated. 

7.  Can  you  think  of  any  experience  within  your  reach 
that  you  might  try  to  gain  for  the  purpose  of  gathering 
material? 

8.  What  do  you  understand  by  "capitalizing  self?" 

9.  Are  there  any  obvious  limits  to  which  this  might 
properly  be  done? 

10.  Examine  any  city  guide  and  suggest  one  or  two 
themes  for  articles  which  occur  to  you. 

11.  What  do  you  think  of  an  encyclopedia  as  a  direct 
source  of  magazine  material? 

12.  Give  your  own  definitions  of  (a)  "thought,"  (b) 
"consecutive  thinking,"  (c)  "reflection,"  (d)  "imagina- 
tion." 

13.  Get  an  interview  with  some  person  of  attainments 
and  outline  an  article  from  the  interview. 

14.  From  recent  reading,  suggest  a  theme  for  an  article. 

15.  Suggest   an   interesting   field   for   research,    with 
magazine  material  in  mind. 

1 6.  Give  a  full  outline  of  an  article  you  would  like  to 
write,  stating  the  sources  of  your  material. 

17.  Write  the  article. 

1 8.  What  is  plagiarism? 


CHAPTER  V 

INFORMATION  AND  METHOD  ITEMS 

Not  all  magazine  writing  is  literary,  either  in  purpose 
or  in  method,  but  a  considerable  body  consists  of  highly 
condensed  paragraphs  of  information  and  methods  of 
work. 

The  writer  who  is  determined  to  gain  experience  and 
make  his  pen-work  pay  from  the  start  will  harbor  no  false 
shame  but  will  at  once  give  some  attention  to  the  markets 
for  such  paragraphic  items.  Whether  these  are  to  remain 
his  chief,  or  perhaps  only,  means  of  getting  into  print  will 
depend  on  ability  plus  push.  How  much  energy  he  will 
take  from  larger  work  in  order  to  devote  it  to  such  writing 
he  must  himself  decide,  but  at  all  events  it  is  decidedly 
worth  while  to  search  out  items  for  the  markets  and  mar- 
kets for  the  items.  Many  departmental  editors — not  all  of 
whom,  by  any  means,  are  resident  in  the  city  of  publication 
or  devote  their  entire  time  to  the  work — have  won  their 
positions  by  showing  ability  to  send  in  helpful  and  reliable 
paragraphs  in  sufficient  numbers  and  frequently  enough  to 
attract  the  editor-in-chief.  One  must  begin  somewhere, 
and  the  first  step  is  at  the  bottom  of  the  stairs.  Even  if 
you  despise  the  occasional  dollars — or,  in  some  cases, 
subscriptions,  merchandise,  or  advertising  space — which 
may  be  offered  as  pay  for  paragraphic  material,  why  con- 
temn the  exercise  in  versatility  that  all  such  writing 
affords? 


44  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

i.  The  Necessary  Equipment 

For  writing  paragraphic  items  (a)  the  prime  requisite  is 
interest  in  this  kind  of  material.  Examine  all  the  domestic, 
agricultural,  business,  popular  science,  and  other  special- 
ized magazines  you  can.  Note  how  many  of  them  have 
departments  made  up  chiefly  or  wholly  of  information- 
paragraphs,  discoveries,  short  cuts,  methods  of  work,  and 
curious  or  interesting  matters.  If  these  interest  you,  you 
can  furnish  something  on  like  lines.  Even  when  a  depart- 
ment seems  to  be  written  entirely  by  a  department  editor 
and  the  paragraphs  are  not  signed,  remember  that  some  of 
them  are  bought  from  contributors.  Some  such  para- 
graphs, indeed,  are  pilfered  from  various  sources  and  with 
slight  rewriting  appear  under  the  department  editor's 
name,  but  reliable  periodicals  do  not  encourage  this  sort  of 
thing — there  are  real  markets  for  your  ideas,  if  you  sift  the 
grain. 

(b)  An  observing  eye  is  also  necessary — no  amount  of 
anxiety  can  atone  for  its  lack.    Alertness  of  mind  is  the 
discoverer's  principal  qualification.    What  one  overlooks 
the  other  coins  into  legal  tender.    Observe  not  only  the 
kinds  of  material  used,  but  the  facts  and  habits  of  life  all 
around  you. 

(c)  A  handy  note-book  is  the  next  thing  needful — what  is 
recorded  will  not  escape. 

(d)  The  habit  of  absolute  accuracy  is  the  final  requisite. 
A  mistake  in  the  recipe,  a  slight  mis-statement  of  fact,  a 
name  wrongly  spelled,  a  conclusion  based  on  too  little  data, 
the  oversight  of  omitting  one  step  in  the  process,  will  work 


INFORMATION   AND   METHOD   ITEMS  45 

annoyance  or  danger  for  someone.  Your  inaccuracy  is 
likely  to  be  reported,  with  the  result  that  at  least  one  door 
may  be  closed  to  the  contributor  whom  the  editor  has  re- 
lentlessly labeled  "  unreliable.'*  Feel  your  responsibility, 
and  from  the  outstart  spare  no  pains  to  establish  the  utter 
accuracy  of  the  most  trivial  contribution.  Aside  from  the 
matter  of  self-respect,  you  will  be  forming  an  invaluable 
literary  habit. 

2.    Where  to  Find,  Material 

It  is  everywhere,  of  course;  but  specifically  where?  The 
general  sources  of  magazine  material  as  previously  outlined 
are  of  course  the  particular  sources  as  well  but  you  must 
approach  them  with  this  sort  of  writing  definitely  in  mind. 

(a)  Tap  the  veins  of  daily  experience.    Has  not  your  own 
use  of  broom  and  butter  and  bed-linen  taught  you  some 
unique  economy  of  time  or  material?    Does  not  the  care  of 
your  automobile,  the  management  of  your  office  detail, 
your  experience  in  farm  or  garden,  the  use  of  your  clothes, 
a  precaution,  a  remedy,  a  sales  method,  an  accounting 
device,  a  fishing  method,  a  church  or  a  home  entertainment, 
suggest  something  of  value  to  others?    Turn  your  eyes  in- 
ward to  see  the  what  and  the  how  that  may  prove  helpful. 
If  you  know  of  no  immediate  market,  store  the  idea  in  your 
note-book.     The  blind  political  economist  of  England, 
Fawcett,  has  defined  capital  as  "  the  result  of  saving  laid  up 
to  assist  future  production."    Be  a  capitalist. 

(b)  Study  the  lives  and  work  of  others.   A  visit  to  a  school, 
a  workshop,  a  camp,  a  sanitarium,  an  asylum;    a  con- 


46  WRITING   FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 

versation  with  a  traveller,  an  artist,  a  tramp,  a  business 
man,  a  teacher;  the  pages  of  a  foreign  newspaper,  a  book, 
an  old  magazine — these  and  uncounted  other  sources  of 
information  are  fairly  clamoring  to  be  opened.  You  need 
not  depend  entirely  on  first-hand  experience  or  observation. 
Tell  business,  professional,  or  home-keeping  friends  of  what 
you  are  trying  to  do — out  of  their  experience-pack  they 
will  draw  something  to  help  you,  and  others  through  you. 
Not  infrequently,  you  will  find  material  for  a  full-length 
article  where  you  thought  to  gather  merely  a  paragraph. 

In  seeking  help  from  persons  and  printed  matter  you 
should,  however,  stand  on  your  own  feet  so  far  as  possible. 
If  your  friend  gives  you  a  suggestion,  tell  him  you  are  going 
to  use  it.  It  may  not  be  necessary  to  give  credit  in  the 
paragraph,  but  suppose  that  your  friend  was  intending  to 
use  the  idea  himself?  Your  frankness  may  save  embar- 
rassment— and  a  friendship. 

Never  offer  for  publication  recipes  and  devices  culled 
from  printed  matter  unless  by  experiment  you  have  been 
able  to  make  the  method  your  own  by  improving  upon  it. 
In  matters  of  literary  uprightness  it  is  better  to  lean  back- 
ward than  forward. 

(c)  Inventiveness  is  a  rich  source  of  "methods"  material. 
Though  invention  is  a  native  gift,  inventiveness  is  a  habit 
of  mind,  and  hence  may  be  cultivated.  Many  brains  teem 
with  fresh  ideas  of  how  to  do  things,  but  because  no  revo- 
lutionary patent  seems  in  prospect  the  schemers  allow 
their  ideas  to  flit  by  unrecorded  and  unused.  When  any 
such  idea  comes  to  you,  and  you  feel  that  you  are  not  likely 
to  put  it  on  the  market  because  it  is  not  big  enough  to  war- 


INFORMATION   AND   METHOD  ITEMS  47 

rant  large  exploitation,  make  a  note  of  it,  test  its  value  if 
possible,  and  offer  it  for  sale  to  some  magazine. 

(d)  The  camera  and  the  sketch  pencil  are  not  only  sources 
of,  but  adjuncts  to,  paragraphic  material.  Some  maga- 
zines, such  as  Popular  Science  Monthly,  Chicago,  Popular 
Mechanics,  Chicago,  and  Scientific  American,  New  York, 
make  a  specialty  of  using  illustrations  with  reports  of  in- 
ventions and  discoveries.  Others,  like  Leslie's  Weekly, 
New  York,  buy  photographs  of  really  striking  current 
events  and  persons  in  the  public  eye,  while  others  like  The 
Strand,1  London  and  New  York,  and  Wide  World,  London 
and  New  York,  use  pictures  of  strange  happenings,  freaks 
of  nature,  and  the  like.  These  together  with  the  newspa- 
pers, do  not,  of  course,  exhaust  the  markets  for  photog- 
raphic material,  whether  offered  with  or  without  full  de- 
scriptive text,  for  magazines  devoted  to  agriculture,  gar- 
dening, the  home,  outdoor  life,  sports,  advertising,  busi- 
ness, and  in  fact  nearly  all  the  illustrated  periodicals,  use 
photographs  when  they  suit  their  peculiar  fields.  It  is 
wise  to  begin  a  list  of  all  such  markets,  but  the  utmost 
discrimination  as  to  subject  and  timeliness  is  required.2 

Your  own  collection  of  snap-shots  may  suggest  a  market- 
able item,  and  also  teach  you  to  carry  your  camera  on 
journeys  and  walks  so  as  to  be  ready  for  the  interesting  and 
the  unusual.  It  is  worth  remembering  that  editors  who 
have  been  hoaxed  into  accepting  fanciful  statements  are 
likely  to  value  photographic  evidence  that  an  unusual 
matter  is  precisely  as  reported. 

1  American  edition  discontinued  during  the  European  war. 

2  Number  120  of  the  Photo-Miniature,  103  Park  Avenue,  New 
York,  contains  helpful  instructions  on  this  subject. 


48  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

A  clear  print  is  absolutely  necessary — glazed  paper 
makes  the  best  reproduction.  Write  your  name  and  ad- 
dress on  the  back  of  the  photograph,  add  the  descriptive 
material  in  the  fewest,  simplest  and  most  striking  words 
possible,  and  mail  the  photograph  flat  and  so  packed  that 
it  cannot  break.  Study  the  special  requirements  of 
magazines  that  use  photographs,  for  the  demand  in  this 
field  is  highly  specific. 

No  great  skill  in  draughtsmanship  is  demanded  in 
sketching  devices  and  inventions  for  the  magazine.  If  you 
have  such  skill,  all  the  better,  but  if  your  idea  is  good 
enough  and  it  is  sketched  plainly,  the  editor  will  have  the 
necessary  drawing  made. 

3.  How  to  Write  a  Paragraph 

Make  a  study  of  the  items  presently  given,  with  a  view 
to  discovering  the  methods  the  writers  have  used.  Add  to 
this  examination  a  scrutiny  of  paragraphs  in  other  periodi- 
cals, and  the  time  spent  will  repay  you. 

The  prosperity  of  the  item  lies  in  the  first  paragraph,  and 
the  opening  paragraph  succeeds  or  fails  with  the  initial 
sentence.  An  editor  recently  quoted  the  following  opening 
as  a  good  one:  " In  an  out-of-the-way  corner  of  Cincinnati 
expert  dentists  are  engaged  in  filling,  with  finest  grade  gold 
or  platinum,  thousands  of  elks'  teeth  the  year  over — and 
possibly  the  very  tooth  on  your  watch-chain  may,  at  some 
time,  have  undergone  the  curious  process  involved." 

Here  we  have  a  clear  picture  and  an  interest-provoking 
statement.  See  how  this  same  plan  has  been  followed  in 
the  succeeding  items. 


INFORMATION  AND  METHOD  ITEMS  49 

RAISING  THE  SPELLING  STANDARD 

Desiring  to  raise  the  standard  of  spelling  in  my  school,  I 
adopted  the  following  plan.  At  the  beginning  of  the  month  every 
pupil  is  on  the  honor  roll.  If  any  one  misses  five  words  during  the 
month  he  is  dropped  from  the  honor  roll.  Those  who  remain  on  it 
at  the  end  of  the  month  are  photographed.  I  have  a  Brownie 
camera  and  do  the  work  myself.  This  picture  is  mounted  on  a 
paper  bearing  the  names  of  Honor  Pupils.  At  the  end  of  the  year 
each  pupil  who  has  been  on  the  honor  roll  every  month  receives  a 
booklet  containing  a  picture  of  the  honor  roll  pupils  for  every 
month. — Normal  Instructor  and  Primary  Plans. 

MILK  FOR  POULTRY 

The  most  valuable  poultry  food  available  on  most  farms  is 
milk.  Many  farmers  feed  all  their  surplus  milk  to  the  hogs.  Milk 
'when  fed  to  hogs,  makes  flesh  that  sells  for  seven  or  eight  cents  a 
pound.  When  fed  to  poultry,  especially  during  the  winter 
months,  it  makes  eggs  that  sell  for  twenty-five  cents  a  pound,  and 
flesh  that  brings  twice  the  price  ordinarily  offered  for  hogs.  And 
besides,  in  discriminating  markets,  milk-fed  poultry  always  sells 
at  a  premium. 

Given  all  the  milk  they  will  consume,  hens  will  lay  well  in  season 
and  out  of  season.  One  cannot  over-feed  of  milk.  It  is  safe  to 
keep  it  before  the  hens  always. 

The  vessels  in  which  milk  is  fed  should  be  washed  and  scalded 
daily.  Earthenware  crocks  are  the  best  for  the  feeding  of  milk 
since  they  are  easily  cleaned.  If  wooden  troughs  or  vessels  are 
used,  they  will,  in  a  very  short  time,  become  so  fouled  that  thoro 
cleaning  is  almost  impossible. 

If  only  a  limited  quantity  of  milk  is  available  for  the  hens,  the 
better  way  of  feeding  it  is  to  use  it  in  moistening  the  mash.  When 
used  for  this  purpose  the  milk  will  be  evenly  distributed  to  the 
flock. — Successful  Farming. 

LEATHERETTE  BOOK  COVERS 

With  a  little  ingenuity,  some  leatherette  upholstering  material, 
glue,  and  a  squeegee  roller,  very  neat  looking,  handy,  and  service- 


50  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

able  covers  may  be  made  for  drawings,  note-books  and  snap-shot 
photograph  albums.  The  cover  may  be  made  best  on  the  loose-leaf 
note-book  principle,  or  may  be  made  to  cover  a  paper-bound  book. 
By  studying  how  any  book  is  bound,  it  is  easily  seen  how  to  go 
about  making  the  cover.  When  it  has  been  shaped  and  glued,  the 
whole  should  be  placed  between  two  smooth  boards  and  clamped 
for  ten  or  twelve  hours. — Popular  Science  Monthly. 

PLAN  TO  KEEP  THE  CHILDREN'S 
STOCKINGS  MATED 

I  find  the  following  plan  very  successful  in  keeping  my 
children's  stockings  together  without  the  usual  sorting  over  after 
each  washing.  I  take  small  snap  fasteners  and  sew  one  part  of  the 
fastener  on  one  stocking  at  the  top,  and  the  other  part  of  the 
fastener  at  the  top  of  the  other  stocking.  When  the  stockings  are 
taken  off  to  be  put  in  the  laundry  bag  each  child  snaps  his  pair 
together.  It  does  not  interfere  with  the  washing,  and  they  can  be 
hung  on  the  line  without  clothespins. — Today's  Magazine. 

HOW  TO  RENEW  CARBON  PAPER 

Quite  by  accident  I  discovered  this  method,  which  costs  noth- 
ing, for  renewing  carbon  paper.  Hold  the  used  carbon  paper  up 
to  a  lighted  lamp,  taking  care  not  to  get  it  close  enough  to  scorch 
the  paper.  The  heat  will  cause  the  carbon  to  spread  over  the 
parts  that  are  bare,  leaving  the  sheet  as  good  as  new.  The  same 
sheet  may  be  renewed  a  number  of  times. — The  Writer's  Monthly. 

IF  I  WERE  A  SHOE  DEALER 

I  would  advertise  by  showing  in  my  windows  the  outline  of  a 
certain  right  foot. 

Then,  both  in  my  windows  and  in  my  newspaper  advertising, 
I  would  invite  every  customer  and  prospect  to  draw  the  outline 
of  his  right  foot  and  send  in  the  drawing.  I  would  advertise  that 
the  person  whose  foot  came  nearest  to  being  the  same  shape  as  the 
outline  shown  would  receive  a  prize. 

I  would  make  use  of  all  the  outlines  received,  by  writing  to  the 
various  contestants  and  telling  them  I  had  just  the  shoes  to  fit 
their  feet,  and  I  would  name  prices. — System. 


INFORMATION   AND  METHOD  ITEMS  51 

AN  INTERNATIONAL  TEST  FOR  VISION 

CM  <K         ^^A        The  International  Ophthalmic  Con- 
^J         ^^J    gress  at  Naples,  in  order  to  introduce 
uniformity  in  methods  of  measuring 
vision,  has  adopted  the  broken  ring  of 

O^^\         ^^^     Landolt  as  the  best  possible  interna- 
40         ^^     tional  test  for  visual  acuteness.    But 
as  no  efforts  have  been  made  to  use  it 
as  cards  with  test  letters  are  used,  it 
has  had  little  practical  value. 

However,  Dr.  Edward  Jackson,  of 
Denver,  has  found  that  if  the  broken  rings  are  arranged  in  a  sym- 
metrical group  and  printed,  as  here  illustrated,  on  a  card  that  can 
be  turned  with  any  edge  uppermost,  it  constitutes  a  test  inde- 
pendent of  a  knowledge  of  letters.  The  test  is  placed  five  meters 
from  the  patient.  If  the  direction  of  the  break  in  the  rings  is 
recognized  at  full  distance,  full  acuteness  of  vision  is  demon- 
strated. If  at  four  and  a  half  meters,  the  vision  is  one-tenth 
defective,  and  so  on. — Popular  Science  Monthly. 

A  careful  examination  of  the  foregoing  and  similar 
material  will  disclose  that  these  paragraphs  are  marked  by 
seven  characteristics: 

The  utmost  brevity  is  used. 

The  explanations  are  so  clear  that  they  cannot  be 

misunderstood. 
The  style  is  simple  and  direct,  without  the  slightest 

trace  of  "fine  writing." 
The  purpose  of  the  device  or  idea  is  succinctly  stated 

at  the  opening,  and  then  the  explanations  follow. 
The  item  does  not  merely  give  the  idea  but  adds  useful 

details  for  the  operation  of  the  plan. 
When  a  title  is  used,  it  is  definite,  yet  does  not  tell  too 
much. 


52  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

The  ideas  are  of  practical  value  and  appeal  to  the 
reader  as  being  usable. 

4.  Marketing  the  Items 

A  full  discussion  of  market  problems  will  be  found  in  a 
succeeding  chapter,  but  in  this  place  one  point  must  be 
emphasized:  Keep  clearly  in  mind — or,  better  still,  on 
record — which  magazines  use  methods,  which  use  reports 
of  inventions  and  appliances,  which  use  experience-items, 
which  use  illustrations,  and  all  the  varieties  of  material 
treated  in  this  chapter. 

It  is  not  practicable  to  give  here  a  list  of  the  periodicals 
that  use  paragraphic  items,  for  magazines  come  and  go  and 
their  wants  change,  but  it  may  be  said  that  markets  are 
usually  to  be  found  with  magazines  devoted  to  woman  and 
the  home,  popular  science,  outdoor  life,  business,  agri- 
culture and  its  allied  interests,  and  some  of  the  professions, 
crafts  and  trades.  It  is  decidedly  necessary  to  examine  at 
least  one  copy  of  any  such  periodical  before  submitting 
material.  The  field  is  large,  but  specialized.  This  advice 
applies  equally  to  material  accompanied  by  illustrations. 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Begin  a  note-book  or  card  index  as  recommended  on 
pages  36  to  39. 

2.  Exhibit  a  specimen  page  or  card  showing  infor- 
mation bearing  on  the  work  discussed  in  this  chapter. 

3.  Clip  at  least  six  items  of  as  many  different  types  and 
test  them  by  the  characteristics  named  on  pages  51,  52. 


INFORMATION  AND  METHOD  ITEMS  53 

4.  Give  an  original  list  of  crude — undeveloped — ideas 
for  paragraphic  items. 

5.  Prepare  three  original  items,  ready  for  publication. 
Test  them  for  the  seven  needful  characteristics. 

6.  Say  to  what  magazines  they  might  properly  be  sent. 

7.  Are  any  of  these  ideas  big  enough  to  warrant  ex- 
pansion into  a  full  article? 

8.  Briefly  relate  any  experience  you  may  have  had  in 
this  field. 

9.  Present  as  full  a  list  as  possible  of  the  magazines 
which  use  paragraphic  items  from  outside  contributors. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  SHORT  ARTICLE 

At  first  it  may  seem  like  splitting  a  hair  between  its 
north  and  northwest  corners  to  distinguish  the  short  article 
from  the  full-length  brother,  but  as  we  go  on,  this  separate 
treatment  may  be  justified  by  practical  considerations. 

Lying  not  exactly  midway  between  the  paragraphic 
item  and  the  long  magazine  article,  because  it  resembles 
more  nearly  the  latter,  is  an  essentially  modern  product 
which  refuses  to  be  classified  under  any  more  definite  head 
than  that  of  "short  articles."  The  more  journalistic  the 
magazine,  the  more  is  this  short,  lively  style  of  writing  in 
evidence,  therefore  we  may  look  for  it  in  any  of  the  newer 
magazines,  and  in  some  of  the  older. 

For  purposes  of  treatment,  and  not  because  the  classi- 
fication is  in  any  sense  exact,  we  shall  examine  these  shorter 
pieces  under  three  heads : 

i.  The  Information- Article 

The  range  of  subject  matter  for  such  offerings  is  un- 
limited, though  this  statement  does  not  apply  when  one 
considers  any  one  magazine — the  same  wise  suiting  of 
commodity  to  market  is  required  here  as  in  every  other 
effort  to  sell  a  piece  of  writing.  Periodicals  of  all  sorts 
use  short  information-articles,  particularly  when  accom- 
panied by  illustrations,  but  in  submitting  material  the 


THE   SHORT   ARTICLE  55 

greatest  care  must  be  exercised  to  choose  a  subject  that 
will  interest  the  grade  of  readers  to  which  the  magazine 
caters,  and  the  same  is  true  in  considering  the  method  of 
treatment.  To  any  experienced  writer  this  should  be 
obvious,  yet  editors  are  constantly  complaining  that 
authors  whose  names  are  well  known  now  and  then  submit 
to  an  adult  publication  material  which  is  almost  juvenile 
in  matter,  though  not  in  manner — the  latter  would  be  a 
more  forgivable  quality. 

In  the  following  article,  which  was  illustrated  with  one 
photographic  half-tone,  we  have  a  distinctly  simple  tone, 
yet  its  information  interests  older  folk  as  well  as  younger. 
In  fact,  it  is  a  fascinating  anomaly — the  explanation  of 
which  may  not  be  hard  to  find — that  grandma  loves 
St.  Nicholas,  while  Mildred  in  grammar  school  dotes  on 
Hearst's!  Nevertheless,  the  general  statement  holds:  We 
must  aim  our  articles  at  a  supposititious  class  of  readers. 

THE  FLYING-SQUIRREL 

Of  all  the  tenants  of  the  woods,  the  flying-squirrel  is  perhaps 
the  most  seldom  seen,  yet  this  is  not  due  to  any  scarcity  of  the 
little  animal,  which  in  fact  is  among  the  most  numerous  of  the 
squirrel  family,  but  to  its  habit  of  moving  almost  entirely  at  night. 
Should  you  doubt  this  last  statement,  enter  some  patch  of  forest 
convenient  to  your  home  and  strike  solidly  upon  the  trunks  of 
such  trees  as  appear  to  be  dead  and  have  one  or  more  holes  in 
the  trunk;  in  about  one  time  out  of  five  your  efforts  will  be 
rewarded  by  the  appearance  in  the  opening,  as  if  by  magic,  of 
the  bright  eyes  of  a  flying-squirrel. 

There  are  two  species  of  flying-squirrel;  the  larger  is  much  the 
same  in  size  and  color  as  our  common  red  squirrel,  while  the  other 
and  rarer  sort  is  of  a  grayish-cream  shade  and  a  trifle  larger  than 
the  chipmunk.  The  habits  of  the  two  are  similar;  both  are 


56  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

nocturnal,  both  inhabit  by  preference  the  hollow  of  some  decayed 
tree — although  they  are  not  infrequently  found  in  the  discarded 
nests  of  the  gray  squirrel — and  both  are  exceedingly  gentle. 

These  squirrels  do  not,  of  course,  fly;  but  their  legs  are  con- 
nected at  the  "wrists"  with  a  light  membrane  which  serves  as  a 
sort  of  parachute,  although  it  has  some  of  the  possibilities  of  an 
aeroplane.  Before  making  a  flight,  the  squirrel  will  run  rapidly 
up  the  trunk  of  a  tree  and,  when  he  has  attained  a  sufficient 
height,  spring  boldly  off  into  space.  With  legs  spread  wide  apart, 
so  as  to  present  the  greatest  possible  surface  to  the  air,  and  his 
extraordinarily  wide  and  fluffy  tail  serving  as  a  rudder,  the  squir- 
rel sails  swiftly  through  the  air,  often  for  one  hundred  feet  or  even 
more,  until  he  reaches  the  trunk  of  another  tree,  up  which  he 
runs  in  order  to  attain  height  for  a  new  flight.  By  this  method 
flying-squirrels  are  able  rapidly  to  cover  long  distances  with 
little  exertion,  for  often,  when  nearing  the  end  of  a  long  sail,  they 
will  point  themselves  upward  and  by  means  of  their  "rudders" 
and  the  impetus  given  will  rise  almost  to  the  height  at  which 
they  started — just  as  a  boy  riding  down  hill  may  be  carried  over 
a  lesser  up-grade  at  the  foot. 

Flying-squirrels  are  lighter  for  their  size  than  any  other  animal, 
their  bones  being  hollow,  as  are  those  of  the  birds,  probably  in 
order  to  give  the  greatest  strength  with  the  least  weight;  when 
held  in  the  hand,  they  appear  to  be  nothing  but  a  bundle  of  finej 
silky  fur.  Like  many  other  squirrels,  their  diet  is  almost  exclu- 
sively vegetable,  and  they  are  never  guilty  of  bird-murder  and 
egg-snatching  as  are  their  kinsmen,  the  "reds." 

Because  of  their  gentleness,  flying-squirrels  make  most  inter- 
esting pets,  and  will  never  bite  unless  very  roughly  handled. 

— A.  E.  SWOYER,  in  St.  Nicholas. 

The  simplicity  of  this  little  article,  which  is  not  printed 
as  a  model  of  good  English,  enforces  an  important  point: 
The  short  information-article  is  not  aimed  at  the  "high- 
brow,'* therefore  it  must  be  free  from  all  involved  sentences 
and  remote  allusions.  Just  as  in  the  informative  para- 
graph, we  expect  compression,  directness,  accuracy,  a 


THE   SHORT   ARTICLE  57 

popular  subject,  an  interesting  opening,  and  a  swift  close. 
All  extraneous  matter  and  all  display  of  opinions  must  be 
rigidly  excluded. 

Practically  all  the  specialized  magazines,  and  many  of 
the  popular  type,  are  in  the  market  for  short  information- 
pieces  which  may  be  used  as  "fillers,"  or  even  in  depart- 
ments. The  subject  matter  need  not  always  bear  on  the 
specialty  of  the  magazine  but  may  be  quite  general  in 
scope.  However,  a  more  certain  market  will  be  found  for 
such  articles  as  treat  of  the  special  field  covered  by  the 
magazine  to  which  it  is  offered.  The  Kindergarten  Review 
contains  an  article  by  President  Joseph  Swain,  of  Swarth- 
more  College,  outlining  "A  Peace  Program,"  to  insure 
international  peace,  and  The  Herald  of  Health  prints  one 
on  the  "Why  Men  Move  Chairs,"  but  manifestly  the 
editors  intended  that  these  variations  should  serve  for 
relief  in  variety — they  reserve  their  welcome  mostly  for 
articles  within  their  own  lines. 

2.  The  Experience- Article 

Here  the  scope  is  almost  exclusively  marked  by  the 
special  character  of  the  magazine,  for  though  the  physi- 
cian probably  feels  that  he  knows  how  to  sell  shoes,  he 
does  not  expect  to  read  advice  on  that  subject  in  his  medi- 
cal journal. 

A  good  example  of  the  experience-article  is  the  following: 

LITERARY  BOOKKEEPING 

Every  business  requires  bookkeeping;  and  when  one  is  making 
a  business  of  writing  short  articles  some  system  is  necessary. 


58  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

The  financial  end  of  it  demands  books  and  the  overburdened 
brain  wants  to  be  free  to  do  creative  work  instead  of  trying  to 
remember  that  which  has  been  done.  We  all  realize  this. 

Probably,  therefore,  you  have  formulated  your  own  record 
book,  or  have  one  of  the  kind  published  for  writers;  but  perhaps 
you  may  get  a  bit  of  an  idea  from  my  system,  which,  like  that  of 
many  a  corner  grocer,  has  just  evolved  itself  out  of  growing  needs. 
So  I  venture  to  tear  out  two  leaves — figuratively  speaking: 

For  two  books  are  necessary,  as  I  see  it;  one  a  manuscript 
record  in  which  each  article  or  story  has  its  separate  page,  and 
the  other  a  mailing  record  in  which  I  can  see  at  a  glance  just  how 
many  are  "out,"  where,  and  what  have  been  recently  returned. 
Oh,  yes,  mine  frequently  come  back,  but  the  postman  must  merely 
carry  them  out  again,  possibly  in  the  next  mail,  allowing  me  just 
time  enough  for  examination  and  any  needed  revision. 

Each  book  is  of  regular  memorandum  size,  3x7  inches,  to  fit 
the  pigeon-holes  of  my  desk.  A  leaf  from  the  "MSS.  Record" 
looks  like  this: 


No.  of  MS. 

TITLE 
"The  Autumn  Garden" 

No.  of  words   Date  of  writing 
800          May,  1915 

June  8,  !15,  Garden  Mag. 

July  3,  '15 

July  5,  !15,  Sprague  Co. 

$6.50 


The  left-hand  dates  indicate  the  time  of  sending;    the  right- 
hand  ones  the  date  of  return,  while  the  "cash"  marked  in  the 


THE    SHORT   ARTICLE  59 

center  of  the  page  acts  as  a  big  period  to  the  story's  wanderings, 
the  price  paid — in  this  instance,  by  the  Sprague  Company.  Of 
course  the  details  on  this  specimen  page  are  fictitious. 

Often  one  sending  is  enough;  but  sometimes  the  column  goes 
down  the  leaf,  thus  moving  the  beautful  period  nearer  the  bot- 
tom. 

Why  are  the  prices  placed  in  exactly  that  spot?  No  reason 
whatever,  merely  the  habit,  and  possibly  the  desire  of  seeing  them 
easily  as  I  turn  the  leaves  of  the  little  book. 

I  am  filling  my  fifteenth  record  book,  so  you  may  know  the  plan 
has  been  satisfactory. 

The  other  book,  the  "Mailing  Record,"  is  needed  to  keep  tab 
on  what  one  has  sent  out.  It  is  a  crude  affair,  but  such  a  source  of 
quick  information  that  I  consult  it  much  more  frequently  than 
the  separate  entries.  A  leaf  from  it  would  resemble  this: 


May 

Stamps   Rec'd 

May  2;  "A  Pillar  of  Pi re" 

Meade  Co.    4    $7.00 

"   5;  "His  View-point" 

American  Boy  8     6.50 

|  "   7;  "Building  a  Plot" 

Writer's  World  4 

"   8;  "Joy  Stories" 

Acton  Co.   4 


This  May  record  of  mailing  (incomplete,  of  course)  shows  me 
exactly  the  amount  of  work  sent  out  in  that  time,  the  cost  of 
postage,  and  what  the  work  has  brought  in.  The  black  line  down 
the  side  marks  "goods  returned." 


60  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

In  this,  the  first  two  were  taken,  and  netted  $13.50,  the  third 
was  sent  back,  and  the  fourth  is  still  to  be  heard  from. 

At  the  end  of  the  month  the  postage  column  is  added,  but  often 
it  takes  many  months  before  the  last  can  be  set  down,  thanks  to 
time-taking  editors. 

At  the  close  of  a  year  it  is  a  simple  matter  to  take  a  blank  leaf 
next  to  the  December  record  and  balance  my  year's  work,  as  to 
cost,  remuneration,  number  of  manuscripts  sent,  and  number 
accepted. 

Another  thing  I  am  beginning  to  do  to  save  labor:  When  an 
article  is  newly  written  and  fresh  in  mind,  I  pencil  on  the  MSS. 
Record  a  number  of  places  where  it  might  be  sold  if  it  should  meet 
rejection  on  its  first  voyage;  then,  months  later,  when  I  am  busy 
on  something  else,  I  do  not  have  to  re-read  it  before  sending  it  out, 
or  let  it  go  at  a  venture.  This  is  merely  pencilled  so  that  the 
suggestions  may  be  erased  when  it  has,  like  Noah's  dove,  found 
"a  rest  for  the  sole  of  its  foot." 

These  little  schemes  have  helped  me  and  have  been  born  of 
necessity,  so  they  are  passed  on  that  others  may  formulate  their 
own  books,  incorporating  just  the  ideas  that  appeal  to  them. 

—LEE  McCRAE,  in  The  Writer's  Monthly. 

The  matter  of  the  experience-article  has  been  sufficiently 
forecasted  in  the  treatment  of  the  experience-item,  in 
Chapter  V.  As  for  manner,  some  thought  must  be  given 
to  that. 

Readers  resent  being  instructed  in  a  "superior"  sort  of 
air,  therefore  a  gentle  way  of  suggesting  methods  of  work  is 
a  manner  to  be  desired.  For  a  similar  reason  a  too-free  use 
of  "I "  is  not  wise,  nor  is  a  broad  condemnation  of  methods 
other  than  the  one  presented,  while  complicated  explana- 
tions, of  course,  confuse  rather  than  help.  Notice  especially 
the  cheery,  chatty  style  of  the  foregoing  little  article. 

One  of  the  chief  faults  editors  find  in  experience-manu- 
scripts is  a  solemn  elaboration  of  a  method  of  doing  a  well- 


THE  SHORT  ARTICLE  6l 

nigh  useless  thing — a  mere  manufacturing  of  red  tape. 
When  such  articles  do  get  into  print  they  exasperate 
readers  who  themselves  know  what  to  do  and  how  to  do 
it.  Probably  this  sort  of  buncombe  is  the  outgrowth 
less  of  experience  than  of  a  desire  to  write.  When  a  real 
saving  of  time  or  money  or  effort  grows  out  of  experience 
a  welcome  for  the  concise  "story"  of  what  it  is  and  how  it 
works  out  will  surely  be  found  on  some  printed  page. 
Every  periodical  devoted  to  a  class  or  a  calling  has  open 
doors  for  experience-articles  in  its  own  field. 

j.  The  Interpretative  Article 

I  use  this  term  for  want  of  one  more  precise,  meaning 
the  short  piece  which,  while  dealing  basically  with  facts, 
does  not  stop  there  but  draws  an  inference,  enforces  a 
theory,  or  teaches  a  lesson.  It  is  precisely  in  the  tone  of 
the  time-honored  "editorial,"  and  as  such  wields  an  in- 
fluence commensurate  with  its  own  merit  and  the  standing 
of  the  magazine  in  which  it  appears. 

While  in  magazines  of  all  classes  the  information-article 
is  more  frequently  met  with,  the  contributed  editorial — 
if  I  may  use  the  descriptive  though  contradictory  term — 
is  by  far  the  higher  piece  of  literary  work,  and  for  that,  if 
for  no  other  reason,  is  worth  cultivating.  In  fact,  facility 
in  writing  this  type  of  article  is  the  thing  that  has  seated 
a  number  of  editors  in  their  chairs.  To  be  sure,  the  fact 
that  certain  editors — notably  the  present  writers  on 
Collier's  Weekly,  The  Independent,  The  Outlook,  and  other 
magazines  that  comment  on  current  events — are  so  gifted 


62  WRITING  FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 

in  writing  trenchant  interpretative  paragraphs  limits  the 
market  for  thL  sort  of  material,  yet  for  those  who  do  it 
well — and  know  whereof  they  write — there  are  desirable 
openings. 

Of  the  four  examples  which  follow  two  are  contributed, 
as  the  attached  names  show,  and  two  are  editorial  in  the 
usual  sense. 

INTERESTING  STORY  OF  A  $100  BILL 

Mrs.  Davis  came  into  possession  of  a  new  $100  bill.  Prizing 
this  money  because  it  was  the  first  she  ever  earned,  she  kept  the 
original  bill  in  her  possession,  most  of  the  time  on  her  person. 
Only  a  short  time  before  her  death,  at  eighty-four,  were  her 
relatives  aware  that  she  still  had  the  bill. 

But  Mrs.  Davis  had  exhibited  her  desire  to  save  money  many 
years  before  she  came  into  possession  of  the  $100  note.  When  a 
little  girl,  nine  years  old,  she  deposited  $10  in  a  savings  bank,  and 
received  a  pass  book.  She  carried  this  book  with  her  for  seventy- 
five  years.  Three  weeks  before  her  death  she  told  her  grandson 
she  was  curious  to  know  if  the  bank  was  still  doing  business  and 
what  had  become  of  her  $10  deposit.  A  letter  giving  the  number 
of  her  pass  book,  the  amount  of  the  deposit  and  her  maiden  and 
present  name,  was  written.  Just  one  week  from  the  day  the  letter 
was  posted  a  reply  was  received  to  the  effect  that  the  deposit, 
together  with  the  accrued  interest  for  seventy -five  years,  amount- 
ing in  all  to  $325.65,  was  in  the  bank  for  Mrs.  Davis. 

A  striking  lesson  is  taught  by  Mrs.  Davis's  experience.  When 
a  little  girl  she  invested  only  $10,  which  earned  for  her  the  splen- 
did sum  of  $315.65,  and  about  the  safety  of  which  she  had  no 
worry  during  seventy-five  years.  No  one  can  tell  what  must  have 
been  her  worry  for  forty-five  years  over  the  safety  of  the  $100  bill 
she  prized  so  much.  Strange  that  she  did  not  seem  to  worry  over 
its  idleness  as  well.  Had  she  deposited  it  with  a  savings  bank  pay- 
ing 4  per  cent  interest  compounded  quarterly,  the  principal  and 
interest  would  have  amounted  to  the  handsome  sum  of  $601.89. 
The  $100  bill  would  have  earned  for  her  five  other  $100  bills. 


THE   SHORT   ARTICLE  63 

Her  investment  at  nine  years  of  age  multiplied  itself  for  her 
thirty-one  times.  Her  sentiment  at  the  age  of  thirty-nine,  per- 
sisted in  for  forty-five  years,  deprived  her  of  many  comforts  in 
her  old  age  which  the  $600  would  have  provided.  Her  one  con- 
solation must  have  been  that  her  little  $10  savings  account  more 
than  trebled  the  value  of  her  $100  bill. 

— T.  P.  JUNKIN,  in  American  Magazine. 

REFORM  UNDER  COMPULSION 

Some  reforms  are  the  result  of  reason,  some  are  due  to  the 
morning-after  feeling,  and  some  come  because  the  bottle  has  gone 
dry.  Fire-prevention  in  the  United  States — if  it  ever  arrives — 
will  belong  to  the  last-named  class. 

Every  one  knows,  or  might  know,  the  hideous  cost  of  fires  in 
this  land  of  the  free  and  home  of  the  tinder-box  house.  The 
wealth  burned  up  or  paid  for  alleged  "fire  protection"  each  year 
is  not  less  than  $450,000,000 — enough  to  pay  for  a  new  Panama 
canal  every  ten  months.  The  life-cost  varies,  but  every  year  more 
persons  lose  their  lives  through  fires  in  this  country  than  were 
killed  or  died  of  wounds  on  the  American  side  in  the  Spanish  war. 

Yet,  in  spite  of  our  boasted  business  acumen,  we  go  on  building 
costly  structures  in  such  fashion  that  they  are  sure  to  burn  if  they 
get  a  chance ;  and  in  spite  of  our  famed  philanthropy,  we  require 
millions  of  people  to  live  and  work  in  imminent  risk  of  being 
burned  to  death. 

We  will  quit  this  criminal  folly  when  the  progress  of  invention 
and  the  increasing  cost  of  lumber  have  made  it  cheaper  and 
easier  to  build  fire-proof  structures  than  the  kind  which  are  at 
the  mercy  of  every  imbecile  with  a  match.  We  will  swear  off 
when  the  bottle  is  empty.  Better  then  than  never,  of  course; 
but  if  the  change  comes  in  our  time,  let  us  at  least  have  the  grace 
to  refrain  from  bragging  about  it. 

— GEORGE  L.  KNAPP,  in  Lippincott's  Magazine. 

MILK  PRICES  AGAIN 

In  a  very  quiet  way,  some  things  have  been  happening  in  the 
milk  business. 


64  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

Keep  in  mind  these  three  facts: 

The  consumer  in  the  city  is  paying  the  highest  price  for  milk 
he  has  ever  paid. 

The  farmer  is  receiving  for  milk  the  lowest  price  he  has  ever 
received. 

The  milk  companies  are  paying  the  highest  dividends  they  have 
ever  paid  and  their  stock  is  watered  90  per  cent.,  whatever  the 
cow  may  do  with  her  milk  as  to  butter  fat. 

Last  summer  we  were  told  that  the  War  had  caused  the  low 
price.  Times  were  so  hard  people  were  not  buying  milk.  There 
was  a  glut  of  milk.  Therefore,  prices  went  down  below  the  cost 
of  production. 

To-day,  the  Health  Departments  of  two  cities — New  York 
and  Boston — declare  there  is  a  serious  shortage  of  milk — the 
Grade  B  milk,  the  kind  which  people  of  moderate  means  buy; 
but  the  price  has  not  gone  up  to  the  farmer;  and  more  and  more 
dairymen  are  going  out  of  the  business. 

We  are  told  that  war  caused  the  drop  in  milk  and  other  dairy 
products  last  summer.  As  a  matter  of  fact — not  trade  trickery 
to  conceal  price  manipulation — butter  exports  have  increased 
from  three  and  a  half  million  pounds  to  ten  million  pounds,  cheese 
from  two  and  a  half  million  pounds  to  fifty-four  million  pounds, 
and  condensed  milk  from  eleven  million  pounds  to  thirty-seven 
million  pounds. 

Yet  the  price  was  dropped  automatically  to  the  farmers  to  such 
a  level  that  many  dairymen  went  out  of  the  business. 

The  milk  situation  has  now  become  an  election  issue  in  New 
England.  Boston's  report  of  the  rigging  of  the  milk  market  has 
gone  to  more  than  50,000  investigators. 

Curiously  enough,  it  has  been  proved  by  Wisconsin,  one  of  the 
great  dairy  states,  that  the  man  who  has  been  going  up  and  down 
the  country  decrying  the  dairy  farmers  as  benighted  pagans  and 
praising  the  milk  companies  for  purifying  milk  and  the  oleomar- 
garine people  for  saving  public  health  by  giving  them  adulterated 
food  instead  of  dairy  butter — it  has  been  proved  that  this  Knight 
of  the  Milk  Pail  is  publicity  agent  for  the  milk  trust;  and  in  short, 
wherever  his  damning  indictment  of  the  farmer  has  been  shouted 
loudest  you  will  find  solid  page  advertisements  of  the  milk  trust 


THE   SHORT   ARTICLE  65 

paid  for  at  from  $1,200  per  page  to  $4,000.    Hush!    Of  course, 
there  is  no  connection! 

The  truth  is  the  milk  situation  is  coming  exactly  to  where  New 
York  and  Massachusetts  and  Wisconsin  have  foreseen  it  would 
come.  Dairy  interests  will  have  to  be  taken  out  of  trust  manage- 
ment and  the  sale  handled  by  the  State.  Details  of  these  plans, 
which  are  likely  to  be  election  issues,  will  be  given  fully  in  another 
month. — Current  Opinion. 

FOOLISH  SHOWMEN 

A  theatre  manager's  house  is  his  castle,  according  to  the  New 
York  Court  of  Appeals,  and  he  can  exclude  from  it  any  critic 
whose  remarks  he  doesn't  like.  The  only  point  is  that  he  must 
shut  him  out  because  of  his  remarks  and  not  on  account  of  his 
color,  creed,  and  the  things  he  is  born  with.  Apparently,  a  green 
and  yellow  cannibal  with  rings  in  his  ears  can  sit  beside  you  if 
he  has  two  dollars,  but  the  local  Shaw  or  Hazlitt  who  might  per- 
haps assist  in  your  appreciation  of  the  author's  work  (or  even 
save  you  from  being  bored  by  it)  can  be  hurled  into  the  cold  night. 
This  victory  is  a  legal  rather  than  a  moral  one,  for  theatre 
managers  are  the  last  persons  in  the  world  to  stop  people  talking 
about  their  plays.  The  case  does  serve  to  show  again,  however, 
the  low  estate  of  our  stage.  In  countries  where  the  people  really 
care  about  such  things — in  France,  for  instance — critics  even  see 
plays  the  night  before  the  first  night,  so  that  they  may  have  more 
time  to  explain  their  merits  or  defects.  The  learned  counsel  in 
this  case  would,  on  the  other  hand,  apparently  do  away  with 
first-night  criticism  altogether  on  the  ground  that  it  interferes 
with  the  manager's  inalienable  right  to  sell  gold  bricks  without 
giving  his  victims  a  chance  to  look  them  over  first.  When  the 
manager  says  that  newspapers  and  their  writers  "autocratically 
sway  the  public  patronage  of  a  play,"  he  is  either  disingenuous 
or  extremely  naive.  A  dramatic  critic  may  save  a  soul  now  and 
then,  but  he  cannot  revolutionize  the  control  of  plays  until 
American  taste  has  been  revolutionized  and  somebody  besides 
the  critic  himself  takes  his  work  seriously. — Collier's. 

Naturally  enough,  our  magazines  now  print  such  in- 


66  WRITING   FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 

terpretative  material  in  greater  variety  than  is  found  on 
the  editorial  page  of  the  daily  newspaper.  Sometimes  it  is 
the  breezy  comment  on  men  and  things  in  The  Saturday 
Evening  Post,  again  it  is  the  secular  homily  of  The  Fra, 
yet  again  it  is  the  reserved  political  expression  of  The 
Outlook,  but  always  two  qualities  mark  it  as  a  type  dif- 
ferent from  any  other:  It  deals  exclusively  with  one 
phase  of  a  subject,  a  little  essay  in  itself;  and  it  is  chock-a- 
block  full  of  opinion,  insistence  on  a  fixed  viewpoint — 
which  is  to  say,  it  makes  without  apology  its  own  inter- 
pretation of  events  and  facts.  Thus  the  short  interpreta- 
tive article  becomes  a  rostrum,  a  pulpit,  which  someone 
with  a  following  mounts  to  say  his  say.1 

Other  short  forms  are,  of  course — the  secular  preach- 
ments of  Richard  Wightman,  the  literary  homilies  of 
Dr.  Van  Dyke,  the  achievements  of  men  of  the  hour,  the 
letter  which  finds  almost  its  only  market  in  "The  Con- 
tributors' Club"  of  The  Atlantic  Monthly,  the  little  essay, 
and  other  variants;  but  these  three  notes — information, 
experience,  interpretation — sound  through  them  all; 
with  one  other  that  is  or  should  be  common  to  each:  the 
single  worth-while  point.  This  is  the  characteristic  quality 
of  the  short  article.  He  who  pushes  that  point  home  with 
vigor,  timeliness  and  charm  will  not  fail  of  a  reading. 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

i.  How  does  the  information-article  differ  from  the 
paragraph  of  similar  purpose? 

1  For  suggestions  on  the  thought,  arrangement  and  style  of 
this  type  of  article  see  Exercise  20,  on  page  68. 


THE   SHORT  ARTICLE  67 

2.  Select  from  any  magazine  a  typical  short  informa- 
tion-article. 

3.  Criticise  it,  favorably  or  adversely,  or  both. 

4.  Do  the  short  information-articles  in  the  better  grade 
of  magazines  follow  any  definite  order  of  arrangement,  or 
are  they  loosely  put  together? 

5.  Make  a  list  of  three  themes  for  such  articles  as  you 
think  you  can  write. 

6.  Make  a  list  of  the  facts  you  wish  to  tell,  in  an  order 
that  will  begin  with  interest  and  lead  up  to  an  interesting 
fact  at  the  close. 

7.  Examine  a  number  of  such  articles  in  periodicals 
and  compute  the  average  number  of  words  allowed. 

8.  Write  the  article  outlined  in  Exercise  6,  paying  care- 
ful attention  to  the  title. 

9.  What  is  climax? 

10.  Have  you  come  to  a  climax  in  your  article? 

11.  What  is  anti-climax? 

12.  Write  an  experience-article,  saying  for  what  class 
of  magazines  you  think  it  suited. 

13.  What  do  you  understand  by  interpretation? 

14.  Name  three  groups  of  facts,  or  three  events,  which 
would  be  suitable  for  use  in  interpretative  articles. 

15.  Write  an  opening  sentence  for  each. 

1 6.  Is  each  striking?  Clear?  Too  short  to  be  expressive? 
Too  long  to  be  vigorous? 

17.  Choose  one  theme  of  the  three  and  write  the  first 
paragraph. 


68  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

1 8.  Does  the  second  sentence  follow  naturally  on  the 
first? 

19.  Finish  the  article,  remembering  Professor  Barrett 
Wendell's  injunction  to  "end  with  words  that  deserve 
distinction." 

20.  Test  your  article  by  the  following  considerations: 
Present-day  interest;  vital  meaning  of  the  facts;  sound- 
ness of  reasoning ;  clearness  of  thought ;  unity  of  the  whole 
article;    singleness  of  theme,  and  consequent  impression; 
variety  of  sentence  structure;  vigor  of  statement;  popu- 
larity of  style;    ease;    satire,  if  any;    humor,  if  any; 
sequence  of  ideas;   climax. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  FULL-LENGTH  ARTICLE 

Two  things  it  is  hard  to  define  satisfactorily:  that  which 
is  obvious,  and  that  which  takes  many  forms  and  yet  is 
essentially  one.  The  nature  of  the  magazine  article  is 
surely  obvious  as  a  form  of  writing,  and  it  just  as  certainly 
takes  on  a  multitude  of  forms  while  yet  remaining  clearly 
an  "  article."  In  its  most  formal  and  literary  aspect  it  is  an 
essay;  again  it  will  be  a  concise  scientific  treatise;  still 
again  it  may  attempt  to  demonstrate  a  philosophical  thesis; 
or  it  will  be  a  straight  biography;  or  a  history;  or  an  un- 
adorned exposition  of  what  a  thing  is  and  how  it  differs 
from  other  things;  or  it  may  consist  of  a  simple  expla- 
nation of  methods  of  work.  Its  styles  and  its  purposes  are  as 
endless  as  human  ingenuity,  exercised  to  meet  human  de- 
mand. Hence  the  futility  and  the  needlessness  of  a  formal 
definition:  A  magazine  article  is — a  magazine  article. 

i.  What  Shall  I  Write  About? 

Once  I  suggested  to  Dr.  Henry  Van  Dyke  that  he  write 
on  a  certain  subject.  In  his  gracious  way  he  replied  that  he 
had  so  many  things  in  his  mind  clamoring  for  expression 
that  he  must  give  the  rest  of  his  life  to  writing  only  them. 
But  the  author  of  " Little  Rivers"  is  a  full  man,  ripe  and 
rich  in  experience.  Most  younger  writers  and  all  beginners 
are  still  on  the  lookout  for  subjects  suitable  alike  to  their 
own  abilities  and  to  public  demand. 


70  WRITING  FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 

Doubtless  most  themes  for  articles  spring  into  the  fore- 
front of  the  mind  and  so  suggest  themselves,  but  others 
must  be  dragged  from  dark  corners  of  memory,  while  yet 
others  must  be  actually  created.  Even  the  most  alert  in- 
ventor needs  a  well-stored  mind  to  draw  upon. 

The  thing  to  write  about  is  oftenest  (a)  the  thing  that 
interests  you.  The  good  editor  is  first  of  all  a  man — a 
woman — of  sympathies,  enthusiasms,  curiosities.  Banking 
on  the  catholicity  of  his  own  interests  he  chooses  for  his 
readers  partly  what  he  himself  likes,  but  mostly  he  is 
constantly  leaping  into  the  twilight  to  seize  the  suspected 
likes  of  others  different  from  himself. 

So  it  must  be  with  the  successful  writer.  Every  day  the 
editor  hears  or  reads  these  sentences  from  some  reliable 
contributor :  "  Here  is  an  article  on  a  subject  which  has  long 
interested  me — I've  been  wanting  to  do  this  for  five  years." 
Or,  "I  think  your  readers  would  like  this."  No  man  can 
live  an  entirely  objective  life — he  must  begin  with  himself. 
The  whole  theorem  of  life  is  typified  by  the  writer's  prob- 
lem: Given,  self;  to  find  out,  non-self. 

The  thing  that  interests  you  is  likely  to  be  (b)  the  thing 
you  know  outside  and  in.  How  can  I  write  that  word 
"know"  in  letters  ten  feet  high!  Authority  is  the  big  idea 
here.  If  you  know  your  interesting  subject  only  a  little,  at 
least  be  sure  that  it  is  (c)  the  thing  you  are  in  a  position  to 
learn  about.  Research,  intelligent  investigation,  forms  the 
basis  of  many  a  masterly  article.  Look  everywhere — 
every  how — to  find  all  the  facts.  Hasty  conclusions  spell 
lame  results. 
^X  (d)  The  thing  of  wide  interest  and  (e)  the  thing  of  special 


THE   FULL-LENGTH   ARTICLE  71 

or  class  interest  are  never-failing  sources  of  article-material. 
Methods  of  industrial  economy  attract  the  many,  methods 
of  manufacture  appeal  to  a  class.  It  is  a  safe  rule  for  the 
beginner  to  follow  the  news  in  choosing  his  subjects. 

When  one  is  advised  to  write  of  (f)  the  thing  of  present 
interest  it  seems  like  an  easy  formula,  yet  so  swiftly  does 
life  move  that  we  must  also  have  a  prophetic  eye  for  (g) 
the  thing  of  coming  interest.  It  was  said  of  President 
Cleveland  that  he  was  in  advance  of  his  party  because  he 
had  his  ear  to  the  ground.  The  writer  must  be  keen  to  hear 
the  vibrations  of  on-marching  events.  Not  only  must  he 
prepare  by  gathering  material  for  a  hurry-chance,  but  he 
must  forecast  the  next  swing  of  public  interest.  When  the 
next  great  American  dies  the  recording  angel  of  the  press 
will  have  his  biography  all  written;  when  the  first  cloud, 
like  a  baby's  fist  in  size,  appears  to  presage  a  new  national 
interest,  it  will  find  some  open-eyed  scribe  ready  to  be  its 
press  agent — and  "it  might  as  well  be  you." 

Two  other  sorts  of  subjects  must  be  noted  in  rapid  pass- 
ing: (h)  the  thing  that  is  little  known,  yet  which  has  the 
potentiality  of  wide  interest — like  how  big  guns  are  made — i 
and  (i)  the  unfamiliar  phase  of  a  familiar  thing.  "Inside," 
"behind  the  scenes,"  "personally  conducted" — these  are 
sure  magic  for  our  public.  Nor  is  the  passion  for  seeing 
unfamiliar  works  and  for  having  mysteries  laid  open  a 
despicable  side  of  human  nature.  Intelligent  curiosity 
makes  the  American  periodical  possible. 

But  how  many  other  kinds  of  article-themes  soever  we 
may  catch  and  label — and  I  have  only  begun  the  list — each 
one  must  be  infused  with  one  big  interest:  HUMAN  in- 


72  WRITING  FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

terest.  Are  we  absorbed  in  geology,  it  is  because  man 
stands  somewhere  in  the  background.  Ants  that  war  like 
human  armies,  rivers  stored  to  make  fertile  the  fields  of 
man,  ships  that  make  and  mar  national  careers — a  myriad 
forms  of  things  appeal  to  us  because  of  their  relationships 
to  man  and  his  vaulting  aims.  We  must  come  close  home 
to  our  readers  so  that  each  may  say,  "Ah,  that  touches  my 

*J  life!"  Analyze  the  popular  article  and  see  how  nearly  it 
touches  the  recreations,  the  industries,  the  homes,  and  the 
prospective  welfare  of  the  middle  class.  Talk  to  a  man 
about  himself  and  he  will  listen. 

In  choosing  the  thing  to  write  about  we  should  have  in 
mind  the  sort  of  magazine  that  prints  such  material — we 
must  write  for  men  and  women  in  a  definite  plane.  This, 
however,  will  not  limit  the  market  so  definitely  as  might  at 
first  appear.  Scan  the  list  of  titles  and  themes  on  pages 
74  to  77  and  note  that  even  specialized  magazines  use 
articles  not  only  of  a  very  general  sort,  but  also  of  a 
specialized  type  seemingly  quite  remote  from  their  own 
specialty.  In  making  an  abstruse  thing  plain  you  reach 
both  up  and  down.  Nevertheless,  it  is  most  important  to 
keep  in  view  a  definite  market.  This  advice  takes  on  added 
force  when  you  consider  technical,  professional  and  trades 
journals. 

Probably  the  reason  why  so  wide  a  diversity  of  subjects 
is  to  be  found  in  even  specialized  periodicals  lies  chiefly  in 
the  editor's  wish  to  avoid  the  monotony  of  too  much  shop 
talk,  but  when  he  does  go  aside  from  his  path  he  is,  or  ought 
to  be,  careful  to  preserve  one  quality:  unity  of  tone  in  all 

•w*  that  he  prints.    His  magazine  has  not  only  a  field  but  a 


THE  FULL-LENGTH  ARTICLE  73 

character.  Your  father  admitted  to  your  home  many 
different  friends — but  he  saw  to  it  that  each  measured  up 
to  his  standard,  or  their  welcome  was  quietly  cancelled. 

Tone  is  a  subtle  thing,  well  worth  studying.  Many  an 
article  rejected  by  one  group  of  magazines  has  been 
changed  to  harmonize  with  the  tone  of  one  in  a  diametrical 
group  and  met  with  instant  acceptance.  To  preserve  this 
personality,  this  tone,  is  a  big  part  of  the  editorial  duty. 
It  is  difficult  to  say  precisely  how  Collier's  differs  in  tone — 
I  do  not  say  in  aims — from  The  Metropolitan,  but  it  does, 
and  unless  you  prefer  to  write  and  submit  your  articles 
hit-or-miss  it  will  be  well  worth  trying  to  sense  that  dif- 
ference even  if  you  cannot  express  it  precisely.  Perhaps, 
however,  this  illustration  is  unfortunate — it  is  better  not  to 
begin  by  submitting  articles  to  magazines  that  buy  most  of 
their  non-fictional  material  by  arrangement  with  promi- 
nent writers.  Don't  despise  an  apprenticeship.  Careers, 
like  skyscrapers,  are  begun  in  the  cellar.  If  you  think  you 
are  the  exception,  go  ahead  and  find  out. 

The  following  list  of  articles  should  be  suggestive  of 
present-day  needs.  Notice  how  the  titles  in  almost  every., 
instance  index  the  probable  contents;  how  little  trickery 
of  phrasing  there  is  in  the  titles;  how  either  the  infor- 
mational or  the  practical  note  sounds  constantly;  how 
timeliness  is  to  the  fore;  and  how  that  many  of  the  titles 
make  you  feel  that  you  would  like  to  know  something 
about,  or  more  of,  that  subject,  according  to  your  tastes. 

Again,  note  the  proportion  of  information-articles  to 
pure  human-interest  material.  Let  me  repeat  that  the 
magazine  writer  is  constantly  peering  at  us  to  discover  the 


74  WRITING   FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

things  that  affect  our  lives — our  business,  our  reading,  our 
play,  our  journeys,  our  beliefs,  our  sympathies.  What  he 
has  done  for  us  we  must  do  for  others.  That  is  the  big 
lesson  as  we  read  what  has  been  written. 

FIFTY  TYPICAL  SUBJECTS  AND  TITLES  OF 
MAGAZINE  ARTICLES 

1.  GET  READY  FOR  5,000,000  AUTOMOBILES.  Critical 

street  problems  which  are  arising  with  the  revo- 
lution in  transportation.  Frederick  Upham 
Adams,  American. 

2.  FRONTIER     CITIES     OF     ITALY.     Florence  Craig 

Albright,  National  Geographic. 

3.  HELPING  CRIPPLED  SOLDIERS.    Howard  C.  Felton, 

Munsey. 

4.  EASTERTIDE  IN  OLD  SEVILLE.    Mabel  Clendenning 

FitzGerald,  Book  News  Monthly. 

5.  AMERICA   AND   AMERICANS   IN   RECENT   GERMAN 

FICTION.    Harvey  W.  Thayer,  Bookman. 

6.  EDWIN    MARKHAM'S    POETIC    METHOD.      Henry 

Meade  Bland,  Writer's  Monthly. 

7.  A  FILM  NEWSPAPER  IN  THE  MAKING.    Alfred  A. 

Cohn,  Photoplay  Magazine. 

8.  WAR  SCENES  THAT  NEVER  HAPPENED.    Photoplays 

of  War.    Edward  C.  Grossman,  Illustrated  World. 

9.  WHY  ARE  MY  PHOTOGRAPHS  A  FAILURE?     0.  L. 

Griffith,  Ladies'  Home  Journal. 

10.    GEORGE  BERNARD  SHAW:  AN  IMPRESSION.   Daniel 
A.  Lord,  S.  J.,  Catholic  World. 


THE  FULL-LENGTH  ARTICLE  75 

11.  PINCHED  IN  POLAND.    A  wartime  experience.    John 

Reed,  Metropolitan. 

12.  THE  RIGHT  USE  OF  BOOKS.    Laura  Spencer  Porter, 

Woman's  Home  Companion. 

13.  HORACE:     AN    APPRECIATION.      Charles    Newton 

Smiley,  Educational  Review. 

14.  WORDS  AND  THEIR  USES.    Emma  Miller  Bolenius, 

McCalVs. 

15.  THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF   SPEED  AND  ACCURACY  IN 

TYPEWRITING.    M.  N.  Bunker,  American  Penman. 

1 6.  SNOW  SHOES — How  TO  USE  AND  SELL  THEM.    C.  L. 

Oilman,  Sporting  Goods  Dealer. 

17.  TENNIS    COURTS   OF    CONCRETE.     J.    N.    Moyer, 

Countryside. 

1 8.  THE    CONSERVATION    OF    SCENERY.      Albert    M. 

Turner,  Fra. 

19.  DYNAMITE  MAKERS.     Willard  Fay,  Cottier's. 

20.  FARM  CREDITS.    William  C.  Brown,  National. 

21.  CONSTRUCTIVE  PREPAREDNESS.    Edward  H.  Smith, 

McClure's. 

22.  KINDERGARTEN  TRAINING  FOR  THE  COLT.    E.  Paige 

Loomis,  Country  Life  in  America. 

23.  THE  KING  AND  QUEEN  OF  BELGIUM.    A.  E.  P.  B. 

Weigall,  Delineator. 

24.  AMERICA  AND  JAPAN.     Baron  Eiichi  Shibusawa, 

Century. 

25.  A  ROYAL  WEDDING  IN  WAR-TIME.   The  Marriage  of 

Her  Royal  Highness  Marie-Louise  d'Orleans  and 
Prince  Philippe  de  Bourbon,  Harper's  Bazaar. 


76  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

26.  WHAT    is    Music?      Thomas    Whitney    Surette, 

Atlantic  Monthly. 

27.  HUNTING  THE  GOBBLER  IN  FLORIDA.    R.  N.  Burne, 

Outdoor  Life. 

28.  SCHOOL  CREDITS  FOR  HOME  WORK.     Charles  P. 

Clark,  Mother's  Magazine. 

29.  CAPT.  SALLY  TOMPKINS,  C.  S.  A.     Emma  Look 

Scott,  Southern  Woman's  Magazine. 

30.  CONFESSIONS  OF  A  PEACE  PILGRIM.     Helen  Ring 

Robinson  (member  of  the  Ford  Peace  Expedi- 
tion), Independent. 

31.  THE  CHARM  OF  NEW  ORLEANS.    Ernest  Peixotto, 

Scribner's. 

32.  How  I  DOCTOR  SICK  HOTELS.    J.  C.  Wilbraham, 

National  Sunday  Magazine. 

33.  RUSSIA'S  CONTRIBUTION  TO  THE  WAR.     Stanley 

Washburn,  Review  of  Reviews. 

34.  MR.  CARNEGIE  AND   HIS   PEACE  FLOCK.     Gerald 

Stanley  Lee,  Everybody's. 

35.  How   RICH    is    AMERICA?     Albert    W.    Atwood, 

Saturday  Evening  Post. 

36.  WHAT  CAN  WE  Do  ABOUT  THE  BUSINESS  DEATH 

RATE?    (Failures  in  business).  Stanley  A.  Dennis, 
System. 

37.  ITALY   AND    SERVIAN    AID.      Gino    C.    Speranza, 

Outlook. 

38.  THE  NEW  HEAD  OF  TUSKEGEE.     Ray  Stannard 

Baker,  World's  Work. 

39.  IN  TIME  OF  WAR  PREPARING  FOR  PEACE.    Mark  S. 

Watson,  Canada  Monthly. 


THE  FULL-LENGTH  ARTICLE  77 

40.    FEEDING    BELGIUM.      Horace    Fletcher,    Physical 

Culture. 
4.1.    SOUND  METHODS  OF  PREPAREDNESS.  A  symposium 

gathered  by  George  Creel,  Hearst's. 

42.  MEETING    POTASH    SHORTAGE.      C.    A.    LeClair, 

Successful  Farming. 

43.  THE    MAKING    OF    A    SUBMARINE    MINE.     John 

Randolph  Rexford,  Popular  Science  Monthly. 

44.  ISOLDE  AT  HOME.    The  real  life  of  a  prima  donna. 

Johanna  Gadski,  Woman's  Home  Companion. 

45.  FIGHTING  THE  STORM  KING  (Snow).    E.  L.  Bacon, 

Railroad's  Man's  Magazine. 

46.  SOME  LABOR  LESSONS  FROM  GERMANY.     Frederic 

C.  Howe,  Pearson's. 

47.  ADRIANOPLE   BETWEEN   WARS.     H.   G.   Dwight, 

Harper's. 

48.  THE  HEREDITY  BUGABOO.     H.  Addington  Bruce, 

Pictorial  Review. 

49.  THE  BIRTHPLACE  OF  THE  MOTION  PICTURE.    H.  C. 

Peterson,  Sunset. 

50.  THE  FALLACY  OF  GRIEF.     Maurice  Maeterlinck, 

Cosmopolitan. 

2.  Opening  the  Article 

One  never  tires  of  quoting  Professor  Barrett  Wendell's 
witty  remark:  "Most  people  have  a  very  strong  impulse 
to  preface  something  in  particular  by  at  least  a  paragraph 
of  nothing  in  particular,  bearing  to  the  real  matter  in  hand 
a  relation  not  more  inherently  intimate  than  that  of  the 
tuning  of  violins  to  a  symphony.  It  is  the  mechanical 


78  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

misfortune  of  musicians  that  they  cannot  with  certainty 
tune  their  instruments  out  of  hearing.  It  is  the  mechanical 
luck  of  the  writer  that  he  need  not  show  a  bit  more  of  his 
work  than  he  chooses." 

See  how  in  the  following  examples  the  introductions 
actually  introduce,  or  else  the  author  plunges  without 
ceremony  into  what  he  has  to  say.  Each  of  these  is  taken 
from  Munsey's  Magazine  for  April,  1916.  I  have  chosen  a 
single  issue  for  two  reasons :  this  periodical  stands  midway 
between  the  highly  literary  journal  and  the  newer,  flippant 
magazine  of  more  cleverness  than  solidity;  and  also  be- 
cause the  articles  whose  openings  are  here  given  vary 
widely  in  both  tone  and  appeal.  Note,  however,  the  cur- 
rent interest  of  each  subject,  as  suits  the  aim  of  this 
periodical. 

THE  STORY  OF  ENGLAND 
By  Nicholas  Brenton 

*. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  present  war,  when  the  British  alliance 
with  Russia  was  stigmatized  in  Germany  as  a  piece  of  "racial 
disloyalty,"  it  was  retorted  in  England  that  the  complaint 
illustrated  that  pedantic  antiquarianism  which  is  a  marked 
feature  of  the  German  mind.  By  thus  drawing  attention  to  the 
undisputed  origins  of  the  English  people,  Germany  only  empha- 
sized the  more  the  striking  manner  in  which  races  originally  one 
have  developed  away  from  each  other,  till  differentiation  has 
made  of  them  nations  which  to-day  seem  indeed  to  have  little  in 
common  save  that  far-away  beginning. 

To-day  the  cousinship  is  so  distant  that  they  have  practically 
ceased  to  be  of  the  same  family;  for,  while  the  German  has  re- 
mained German,  the  modern  Englishman  seems  no  more  a 
German  than  he  seems  a  Frenchman.  Yet  when  England  first 

1  English  Composition. 


THE   FULL-LENGTH  ARTICLE  79 

began  to  be  England,  with  the  Anglo-Saxon  subjugation  of  the 
imperfectly  Romanized  Britain,  "it  was,"  in  Green's  phrase,  "the 
one  purely  German  nation  that  rose  upon  the  wreck  of  Rome." 
The  chemistry  of  the  subsequent  change  is  as  mysterious  as 
that  of  all  other  racial  transmutations. 

In  this  real  introduction  our  general  interest  in  current 
happenings  is  used  to  awaken  a  special  interest  in  the  his- 
tory of  England.  At  the  same  time,  the  opening  reference 
serves  as  a  logical  point  of  departure  for  the  writer  to 
show  how  the  English  became  a  unique  nation. 

THE  HAVOC  OF  INVASION 

A  BROAD  TRAIL  OF  RUIN  THROUGH  FIVE  FAIR 
PROVINCES  OF  FRANCE 

By  J.  W.  McConaughy 

War,  observed  the  late  Charles  Reade,  has  ever  been  against 
the  solid  interests  of  mankind.  But  in  past  centuries,  in  the 
dynastic  wars  of  which  Europe  has  seen  so  many,  its  record  of 
wanton  destructiveness  was  comparatively  negligible. 

The  article  itself  is  really  an  elaboration  of  the  thesis 
found  in  the  second  sentence  of  the  introduction.  It  shows 
by  contrast  the  destruction  wrought  in  France  today. 
This  form  of  thesis-introduction  is  one  of  the  best. 

OUR  TURBULENT  HOUSE 

LEGISLATORS  WHO  NEVER  ARE  IN  ORDER,  AND 
PROBABLY  NEVER  WILL  BE 

By  Horace  T owner 

When  the  Sixty-Fourth  Congress,  which  we  now  have  with  us, 
had  completed  the  preliminaries  of  organization,  Champ  Clark 
took  his  place  behind  the  Speaker's  desk,  brought  his  gavel  down 


80  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

with  a  resounding  whack,  and  roared,  in  exactly  the  same  tone 
and  inflection  with  which  he  had  used  the  same  phrase  several 
thousand  times  before:  "The  House  will  be  in  order!"  (Whack!) 

But  the  House  wouldn't  be  in  order.  It  never  has  been  in 
order,  and  probably  it  never  will  be.  Not  even  the  majestic  pres- 
ence and  leonine  roar  of  Speaker  Champ  Clark  can  repress  that 
restless  body. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  Mr.  Clark  does  his  best. 

Here  we  have  a  chatty,  journalistic  opening  which 
advertises  at  once  that  a  light  tone  will  be  adopted.  The 
easy  narrative  of  historic  scenes  of  turbulency  in  Congress 
bears  out  the  opening  impression. 

THE  POLITICAL  TRUCE  IN  CANADA 

HOW  THE  DOMINION  HAS  SET  PATRIOTISM  ABOVE 
PARTY  IN  THE  CRISIS  OF  A  GREAT  WAR 

When  we  of  the  United  States  speak  of  "a  bitter  political 
fight,"  we  usually  have  at  the  back  of  our  minds  the  late  Tilden- 
Hayes  unpleasantness,  or  Lincoln's  first  campaign  for  the  Presi- 
dency. Compared  with  the  political  battles  of  our  brother  Anglo- 
Saxon  nations,  our  ordinary  electoral  campaigns  are  about  as 
bitter  as  ice-cream  soda. 

This  unsigned  article  also  uses  the  journalistic  opening. 
It  employs  the  popular  method  of  appealing  to  knowledge 
so  as  to  find  a  basis  for  comparison. 

WILLIAM  SHAKESPEARE 

AND  THE  THREE  HUNDREDTH  ANNIVERSARY  OF 
HIS  DEATH 

By  Richard  Le  Gallienne 

If  we  attempt  to  formulate  at  its  broadest  and  simplest  our 
feeling  as  we  think  of  Shakespeare,  our  most  inclusive  emotion  as 


THE  FULL-LENGTH  ARTICLE  8 1 

his  name  springs  involuntarily  to  our  lips,  I  believe  that  we  shall 
find  it  to  be  that  of  an  immense  kindness  toward  him.  Leaving 
aside  our  wonder  and  reverence  at  the  manifold  operations  of  his 
genius,  his  intellect,  his  imagination,  his  power  of  poetic  ex- 
pression, we  think  first  of  the  quality  that  with  such  large  ease 
included  all  these  attributes — his  boundless  humanity. 

He  is  the  greatest  of  all  poets,  because  he  was  the  most  human 
of  all  human  beings  as  well.  He  is  our  supreme  authority  on 
human  nature.  We  do  not  think  of  Dante,  nor  even  of  Homer, 
in  that  way.  Other  poets  may  be  inaccessible  mountain  peaks,  or 
even  star-mantled  mountain  ranges.  Shakespeare  alone  is  a 
continent.  Humanity  is  in  need  of  all  its  poets  can  give  it,  but 
its  greatest  need  in  its  interpreters  is — humanity. 

The  value  of  this  somewhat  oratorical  opening  lies  in  the 
fact  that  it  sounds  the  key  note  of  the  article,  which, 
while  not  new  in  matter,  is  timely  enough  to  serve  as  an 
interest-arousing  theme. 

PREPAREDNESS— OF  A  NEW  KIND 
By  Franklin  K.  Lane 

UNITED  STATES  SECRETARY  OF  THE  INTERIOR 

Some  months  ago  I  sought  to  learn  what  I  could  of  the  assets 
of  this  country  as  they  might  be  revealed  by  the  Department  of 
the  Interior.  I  desired  to  find  just  where  we  were  in  point  of 
development,  and  what  we  had  with  which  to  meet  the  world; 
for  we  were  learning  that  war  is  no  longer  a  set  contest  between 
more  or  less  mobile  armies,  but  an  enduring  contest  between  all 
the  life-forces  of  the  contending  parties — their  financial  strength, 
their  industrial  organization  and  adaptability,  their  crop  yields, 
and  their  mineral  resources.  Ultimately,  indeed,  it  comes  to  a 
test  of  the  very  genius  of  the  peoples  involved. 

To  mobilize  an  army,  even  a  great  army,  is  now  no  more  than 
an  idle  evidence  of  a  single  form  of  strength,  if  behind  this  army 
the  nation  is  not  organized. 


82  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

This  is  another  thesis-introduction,  the  last  half  of 
which  is  immeasurably  better  than  the  former. 

THE  METRIC  SYSTEM 

THE  INCREASING  PROSPECT  OF  ITS  ADOPTION  IN  THE  UNITED 
STATES 

By  Judson  C.  Wellher 

Pounds  and  ounces,  gallons  and  quarts,  tons  and  hundred- 
weight, miles  and  yards,  feet  and  inches,  acres  and  square  feet, 
are  making  ready  for  their  exit  from  the  stage  of  American 
business  affairs. 

Truth  to  say,  they  have  had  no  good  excuse  for  lingering  with 
us  so  long.  They  ought  to  have  been  lifted  out  on  the  toe  of  the 
legislative  boot  long  ago.  They  are  confusing,  obsolete,  un- 
scientific, and  calculated  to  demoralize  all  commercial  trans- 
actions measured  in  their  terms.  Their  continued  existence  as 
the  standards  of  weight  and  measurement  in  American  business 
is  a  testimony  to  our  national  conservatism,  and  to  the  over- 
powering inertia  that  so  often  prevents  the  accomplishment  of 
things  which  everybody  knows  ought  to  be  done. 

This  is  a  most  effective  introduction  for  this  sort  of 
article,  which,  as  may  be  guessed,  is  positive  and  uncom- 
promising in  tone. 

FOUR  FAMOUS  AMERICAN  OCTOGENARIANS 

A  QUARTET  OF  VETERANS  WHO  AT  MORE  THAN  FOURSCORE 
YEARS  ARE  STILL  USEFUL  AND  ACTIVE  CITIZENS 

To  Henri  Fre"de"ric  Amiel,  the  Swiss  philosopher  whose  "Journal 
Intime  "  has  gained  a  posthumous  celebrity,  we  owe  this  profound 
observation: 

To  know  how  to  grow  old  is  the  master-work  of  wisdom,  and 
one  of  the  most  difficult  chapters  in  the  great  art  of  living. 

This  is  a  truth  heartily  indorsed  by  elderly  gentlemen  of  ex- 


THE   FU^L-LENGTH  ARTICLE  83 

perience  and  by  younger  men  of  imagination.  And  herewith  are 
the  portraits  of  four  well-known  Americans  who  have  conspicu- 
ously achieved  their  "master- work." 

This  unsigned  light  article  is  well  introduced.  The  sug- 
gestions of  pleasant  eulogy  and  none-too-critical  con- 
sideration are  carried  out. 

Only  let  the  opening  be  striking  enough  to  command 
attention,  suggestive  enough  to  arouse  expectation,  fitting 
enough  to  match  the  theme,  and  pitched  in  a  key  low  >x 
enough  to  make  interest  climacteric,  and  the  writer  may 
open  in  the  way  that  pleases  him  best.  But  with  all  his 
will  let  him  resolve  to  get  started  quickly. 

3.  The  Body  of  the  Article 

Well-bred  articles  keep  their  skeletons  concealed,  yet 
the  bony  structure  is  none  the  less  valuable. 

Having  it  clearly  in  mind  that  in  no  circumstances  must 
the  framework  stick  out,  the  writer  had  better  learn  to  out- 
line his  article  before  beginning  the  actual  writing.  Each 
thought  he  wishes  to  elaborate  might  well  be  jotted  on  a 
slip  of  paper.  If  there  are  a  group  of  distinctly  subordinate 
thoughts  under  any  one  of  the  main  thoughts,  these  should 
be  set  down,  perhaps  on  the  same  slips  that  contain  the 
major  thoughts.  When  the  main  thoughts  have  been  re- 
corded, and  also  the  subsidiary  ideas  under  their  appro- 
priate main  headings,  spread  out  the  slips  of  paper  like  so 
many  cards  in  a  game.  Consider  carefully  the  thought 
with  which  to  open,  which  ought  to  follow,  and  which 
should  end  the  article.  Climax,  or  rising  interest,  is  a 


84  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

natural  order.  "End  with  words  that  deserve  distinc- 
tion"— Dr.  Wendell's  wise  saying  bears  repetition;  but 
first  be  sure  that  the  thought  is  worthy  of  the  words. 

Throughout  the  entire  process  of  writing  keep  your  out- 
line before  you  so  as  to  give  due  proportion  to  each  thought. 

Since  the  present  work  is  a  manual  of  instruction,  and 
emphasis  on  each  point  is  important,  it  has  been  thought 
best  to  make  most  of  the  bones  to  show.  Examine,  then, 
the  skeleton  of  this  chapter  to  see  how  section  is  added  to 
section,  and  how  any  one  section  includes  a  number  of 
contributory  ideas  which  amplify  the  major  thought.  But 
so  formal  an  arrangement  for  a  magazine  article  would  be 
very  bad  indeed,  even  in  the  average  educational  journal. 
Freedom,  ease,  and  charm  would  be  entirely  killed  by  this 
method.  Study  the  chatty  way  in  which  the  lighter 
articles  in  our  best  magazines  are  handled.  Even  dialogue 
is  introduced,  and  the  information  slipped  to  the  reader  in 
a  style  anything  but  dogmatic.  True,  the  more  serious 
articles  are  more  sober,  yet  our  brighter  essayists  are  never 
heavy,  and  a  flash  of  wit,  if  the  match  be  not  struck  too 
frankly,  is  rarely  out  of  place.  The  magazine  writer  must 
not  seem  to  instruct. 

The  whole  thing  may  be  summed  up  in  a  word:  Know 
where  you  are  going,  map  out  the  route,  mark  each  stage 
mentally  but  not  too  openly,  then  go  to  your  destination 
with  as  light  and  swift  a  step  as  you  can.  And  don't  get 
lost. 

4.  The  Length  of 'the  Article 
The  memory  of  the  Rev.  Charles  H.  Spurgeon  is  revered 


THE  FULL-LENGTH  ARTICLE  85 

by  multitudes,  but  his  popularity  would  be  greater  if 
everyone  knew  his  declaration  that  "a  short  prayer  is  long 
enough  if  it  reach  God." 

One  might  fill  a  long  chapter  in  praising  brevity.  But 
what  is  the  answer  to  the  question:  How  long  should  a 
magazine  article  be?  The  best  answer  is  the  only  answer — 
much  the  same  as  that  of  the  boy  who  when  asked  by  his 
teacher,  "How  long  should  the  legs  of  a  well-porportioned 
man  be?"  replied,  "Long  enough  to  reach  the  ground, 
sir." 

There  are,  of  course,  definite  requirements  of  space 
with  different  magazines,  and  these  standards  are  not  the 
expressions  of  an  editor's  whim  but  grow  out  of  the  need 
for  a  full  and  well- varied  table  of  contents,  and,  in  many 
instances,  from  the  exigencies  of  fitting  articles  with 
illustrations.  But  after  all,  the  question  is  usually  this — 
is  the  article  a  major  or  a  minor  one?  If  the  former,  it  will 
justify  the  allotment  of  more  space  than  if  it  were  of  only 
secondary  importance.  The  major,  or  leading,  articles  will 
therefore  average  more  words  than  the  grand  average 
shows  in  the  examination  now  to  be  reported. 

This  study  of  a  large  number  of  well-known  magazines 
has  been,  for  the  purpose  of  showing  a  wide  range  of  kinds, 
narrowed  to  forty-five.  In  each  instance  the  examination 
covered  three  numbers — issued,  almost  without  exception, 
in  1916. 

The  short  prefatory  Note  shows  why  the  conclusions 
reached  may  be  taken  as  representative  of  present-day 
editorial  demands  with  regard  to  the  number  of  words  in 
the  full-length  magazine  article.  One  thousand  words  is 


86 


WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 


not  an  arbitrary  dividing  line  set  between  the  short  article 
and  the  long,  for  in  actual  practice  it  marks  a  reasonable 
division — short  articles  average  considerably  less  than  one 
thousand  words  and  the  full-length  product  a  great  many 
more. 

AVERAGE  LENGTH  or  ARTICLES  IN  THREE  ISSUES  EACH  OF 
FORTY-FIVE  MAGAZINES 

NOTE:  So  as  not  to  include  editorials,  unsigned  staff 
material,  department  material,  and  very  short  articles  or 
"fillers,"  only  signed  articles  of  at  least  one  thousand  words 
were  counted  as  being  " full-length  articles." 


Name  of  Magazine 

Number 
of 
Articles 
in  Three 
Issues 

Words 
in  the 
Longest 
Article 

Average 
Length 

Scribner's 

12 

8800 

6110 

Harper's 

18 

7200 

5622 

Atlantic 

37 

8000 

5492 

Everybody's 

8 

9000 

5131 

Pearson's 

19 

6800 

4700 

Munsey 

15 

IOOOO 

4260 

Saturday  Evening  Post 

13 

7400 

4250 

Century 

14 

7300 

4221 

Metropolitan 

9 

7200 

4106 

Collier's 

8 

5900 

3975 

North  American  Review 

3° 

7000 

3870 

World's  Work 

33 

6200 

3479 

Travel 

15 

7400 

3422 

Review  of  Reviews 

27 

8000 

3415 

Cosmopolitan 

6 

6000 

337i 

THE   FULL-LENGTH   ARTICLE 


Name  of  Magazine 

Number 
of 
Articles 
in  Three 
Issues 

Words 
in  the 
Longest 
Article 

Average 
Length 

Good  Housekeeping 

16 

4900 

3328 

Bookman 

18 

7000 

3261 

McClure's 

9 

7900 

3200 

Mothers' 

25 

5000 

3120 

System 

44 

4900 

2666 

Bellman 

8 

3750 

2620 

Southern  Woman's 

iQ 

5600 

2620 

St.  Nicholas 

10 

4300 

2485 

McCalTs 

16 

3850 

2484 

Yachting 

12 

3750 

2358 

Delineator 

II 

5300 

2441 

Outlook 

2O 

4400 

2440 

Outing 

26 

6800 

2385 

Woman's  Home 

Companion 

18 

4000 

2330 

Hearst's 

8 

3700 

2325 

American 

18 

4500 

2282 

Physical  Culture 

25 

5600 

2236 

Overland 

22 

5300 

2218 

Ladies'  Home  Journal 

20 

4000 

2085 

Independent 

15 

3500 

1960 

Canada  Monthly 

II 

3000 

1863 

Designer 

9 

35°° 

1862 

Pictorial  Review 

7 

3000 

1800 

Theatre 

23 

4000 

1800 

Christian  Endeavor  World 

4 

2700 

1800 

Popular  Science  Monthly 

27 

3400 

1800 

House  and  Garden 

27 

3050 

1606 

Motor 

16 

2IOO 

1572 

Writer's  Monthly 

21 

25OO 

1414 

Country  Life  in  America 

16 

25OO 

1300 

88  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

It  will  be  seen  that  magazines  whose  articles  average 
more  than  4000  words  bring  up  the  grand  average  materi- 
ally. In  fact,  twenty-three  of  the  forty-five  magazines 
reported  on,  average  less  than  2500  words  for  each  article, 
and  eleven  magazines  average  less  than  2000  words. 

This  preference  for  short  material  is  further  emphasized 
by  the  fact  that  many  of  these  magazines  also  use  a  con- 
siderable number  of  really  short  articles.  For  example, 
while  three  issues  of  Cosmopolitan  contain  only  six  full- 
length  articles,  the  same  numbers  carry  three  short  ones; 
Country  Life  in  America  prints  eleven  very  short  articles 
in  addition  to  its  sixteen  longer  pieces;  Hearsts  gives  six 
short  pieces  in  addition  to  eight  of  full  length;  while  The 
Christian  Endeavor  World  uses  more  short  than  long  con- 
tributions. The  longest  article  contains  10,000  words;  the 
shortest,  1000;  and  the  average  length  of  805  articles  in 
135  issues  (3  each)  of  forty-five  magazines  is  2962  words — 
substantially,  3000. 

For  the  foregoing  and  other  equally  obvious  reasons 
writers  ought  to  conclude  that  only  in  the  most  exceptional 
instances  would  they  be  justified  in  offering  articles  of  the 
maximum  length  used.  It  is  surely  the  part  of  prudence  to 
keep  within  the  average,  to  say  nothing  of  the  extreme. 

5.  Ending  the  Article 

If  the  old-fashioned  introduction  has  gone  out  of  style, 
much  more  so  has  the  afore-time  wind-up.  Indeed,  those 
who  look — generally  in  vain — for  literary  form  in  the 
modern  magazine  often  complain  that  the  usual  article  of 


THE   FULL-LENGTH   ARTICLE  89 

today  ends  with  more  promptness  than  is  pleasing.  How- 
ever this  may  be  as  a  matter  of  good  taste,  the  writer  faces 
"not  a  theory  but  a  condition."  Editors  do  not  want  any 
farewells  or  final  flourishes  which,  if  retained,  might  cause 
an  article  to  run  over  to  a  new  page,  whereas  a — it  is  to  be 
hoped — judicious  use  of  the  blue  pencil  will  save  that 
embarrassment  and  make  an  article  end  where  the  real 
thought  stops.  A  single  concise  summary — packed  into 
one  clear  sentence,  if  possible — or  an  epigrammatic  tone- 
sentence,  is  all  that  should  be  allowed. 

GUIDE  POSTS  FOR  THE  WRITER  OF  ARTICLES 

Ask  innumerable  questions  and  be  satisfied  with  no 
shallow  answers. 

Consider  your  subject  in  its  relationships  of  comparison 
and  contrast. 

Do  not  insist  on  the  obvious,  nor  prove  the  proved. 

Do  not  be  content  with  stating  facts — vitalize  your  facts 
with  ideas. 

Look  into  the  past,  the  present  and  the  future  of  your 
subject,  but  do  not  try  to  tell  it  all. 

If  the  interest-point  does  not  lie  in  the  cause,  seek  for  it 
in  the  effect — and  contrariwise. 

Think  and  ask  and  plan  before  you  read;  and  do  all 
three  before  you  write. 

Inference  and  suggestion  are  invaluable  literary  devices; 
not  everything  must  be  baldly  told. 

Simplicity  is  the  hall-mark  of  knowledge;  one  is  rarely 
profound  when  he  is  elaborate. 


90  WRITING   FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

Humor  is  a  saving  grace,  solemnity  a  cardinal  sin — but 
don't  confuse  triviality  with  lightness. 
Pomposity  will  kill  more  live  ideas  than  crudeness. 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Without  attempting  a  formal  definition,  what  do 
you  understand  by  (a)  a  newspaper  feature  article?   (b)  a 
full-length  magazine  article? 

2.  Realizing  that  the  types  coincide  at  some  points,  in 
what  respects  do  they  usually  differ? 

3.  Set  down  as  many  subjects  for  magazine  articles  as 
occur  to  you  after  a  few  minutes'  thinking. 

4.  Consider  the  list  and  strike  out  those  that  seem 
unavailable,  but  do  not  do  so  without  being  able  to  say  why 
on  second  thought  you  reject  them. 

5 .  Can  any  of  the  re j  ected  themes  be  used  after  modify- 
ing them  by  variation,  addition,  or  division? 

6.  Try  to  add  to  the  list  of  fundamental  things  to  write 
about  named  on  pages  70  and  71. 

7.  To  which  of  these  classes  does  each  of  your  themes 
(question  3)  belong?    One  may  belong  to  several. 

8.  What  is  "interest?"    Illustrate. 

9.  What  is  "human  interest?"    Illustrate. 

10.  Try  to  develop  two  subjects  out  of  your  answers  to 
questions  8  and  9. 

11.  From  a  magazine  select  an  article  which  does  not 
seem  to  come  within  the  avowed  scope  of  that  periodical, 
yet  which  has  some  justification  for  its  inclusion.    Try  to 
show  why,  in  a  very  few  words. 


THE   FULL-LENGTH  ARTICLE  91 

12.  Try  to  express  in  two  short  sentences  the  respective 
tones  of  two  divergent  magazines. 

13.  To  what  sort  of  people  does  each  appeal? 

14.  Which  is  the  larger  class? 

15.  On  which  of  the  subjects  listed  on  pages  74  to  77 
are  you  prepared  to  write,  either  by  present  knowledge  or 
by  opportunities  for  research? 

1 6.  Criticise  any  objectionable  opening  quoted  in  this 
chapter. 

17.  Amend  it. 

1 8.  Criticise    the   opening   of   any   article   from   any 
magazine. 

19.  Amend  it. 

20.  After  some  thought,  enlarge  the  list  of  subjects 
called  for  in  question  3. 

2 1 .  Write  original  openings  for  any  two. 

22.  Analyze,  as  this  chapter  is  outlined,  any  suitable 
magazine  article. 

23.  Make  an  outline  of  any  article  you  have  already 
written — published  or  unpublished. 

24.  Build  an  outline  for  an  article  you  propose  to  write, 
giving  the  introduction  complete. 

25.  For  what  magazines  ought  it  to  be  suitable?    Why? 

26.  Criticise  the  ending  of  any  magazine  article. 

27.  Amend  it. 

28.  Write  your  own  article  complete. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

HUMOROUS  WRITING 

There  is  no  technique  of  humor  as  there  is  of  verse,  for 
its  forms  are  as  various  as  life.  The  writer  who  needs  to 
be  told  what  is  humor  and  what  is  not  was  born  without  a 
certain  useful  bone.  He  may  lament  its  absence  but  he 
can  never  supply  it  by  much  study  and  analysis.  He  who 
possesses  it  may,  of  course,  cultivate  it  to  sensitiveness. 
The  most  humorous  mind,  however,  may  be  at  a  loss  to 
understand  in  what  the  mirthful  consists.  Yet,  obviously, 
the  purpose  of  this  chapter  is  not  to  teach  the  unhumorous 
to  write  humor;  less  still  is  it  to  announce  and  expound 
a  philosophy  of  wit  and  humor.  The  object  of  this  par- 
ticular study  is  in  harmony  with  the  avowed  purpose  of  the 
entire  handbook — to  examine  theories  only  so  far  as  they 
are  necessary  to  more  successful  practice.  What,  therefore, 
will  be  attempted  now  is  this:  to  seek  quickly  for  the 
ultimate  basis  of  the  comic  so  that  we  may,  by  an  examina- 
tion of  the  several  types  of  humorous  writing — taken 
chiefly  from  contemporary  magazines  and  papers — see  how 
an  endless  variety  of  witty  and  humorous  effects  may  be 
built  on  this  one  foundation. 

One  other  preliminary  disclaimer  seems  necessary.' 
After  we  shall  have  examined  the  basis  of  all  mirthful 
notions  and  seen  their  limits,  no  set  attempt  will  be  made 
to  discriminate  between  wit  and  humor,  either  in  theory 
or  in  the  illustrative  examples,  for  in  many  cases  the 


HUMOROUS   WRITING  93 

two  forms  merge — though  in  others  they  are  distinct 
enough. 

Now  these  two  disavowals  of  purpose  must  not  be  taken 
to  mean  that  it  is  anything  other  than  important  and 
valuable  to  the  finished  student  of  humor  to  understand 
the  philosophy  of  mirth  in  all  its  moods  and  tenses.  I 
merely  say  that  for  him  there  are  other  books — as  may  be 
seen  in  the  reading  list  given  in  Appendix  D.  For  ages, 
philosophers,  from  Aristotle  and  Plato  to  Sully  and 
Bergson,  have  been  tackling  the  problem,  though  most  of 
them  have  been  more  keen  in  pointing  out  what  is  funny 
than  in  explaining  why  it  is  funny. 

To  know  the  causes  of  the  laughable — and  now  I  include 
all  forms  of  wit  and  humor,  from  pleasantry,  facetious- 
ness,  word-play,  repartee,  irony,  sarcasm,  derision  and 
the  sardonic,  through  comedy,  farce,  burlesque  and  ex- 
travaganza, to  whatever  other  types  the  Proteus  of  fun 
may  assume — is  to  have  taken  a  long  step  toward  facility 
in  shaping  mirthful  ideas  for  the  market.  Therefore  to 
that  inquiry  we  turn  first. 

i.  The  Basis  of  the  Laughable 

As  has  been  said,  a  great  many  attempts  have  been 
made  to  segregate  the  comic  germ.  "Incongruity," 
"descending  incongruity,"  "degradation,"  "nullified  ex- 
pectation," "inelasticity,"  the  presence  of  "something 
mechanical  in  something  living" — all  these  and  yet  others 
have  been  put  forward  as  being  what  Bergson  has  aptly 
called  the  leit  motif  of  the  comic.  To  be  sure,  the  pro- 


94  WRITING   FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

ponents  of  their  several  theories  expand  and  explain  these 
words  in  such  a  way  as  to  show  them  to  lie  much  closer 
to  the  heart  of  the  laughable  than  at  first  appears.  Yet 
it  has  seemed  to  me  that  the  writer  of  humor  may  find 
more  help  and,  if  I  may  venture  to  say  so,  a  more  definitive 
statement  in  fuller  words,  something  like  this: 

The  basis  of  the  comic  lies  in  some  variation  from  the 
normal  or  the  expected,  sufficient  to  produce  an  effect  either 
incongruous  or  surprisingly  apt,  yet  not  sufficient  to  excite 
any  serious  feeling. 

Single  examples  or  even  many  examples  are  not  enough 
to  warrant  a  generalization.  The  only  way  to  measure 
the  validity  of  the  foregoing  statement  is  to  bring  it, 
part  by  part,  to  the  test  of  actual  humor  of  all  known 
kinds.  This,  obviously,  is  impracticable  here,  so  we  must 
be  content  with  a  brief  examination  of  the  dictum  in 
detail. 

The  idea  of  (a)  variation  inheres  in  all  humor — a  broken 
rope,  a  stumble,  a  change  of  mind,  a  sudden  reversal  in 
the  flow  of  ideas,  a  shift  from  the  figurative  to  the  literal, 
or  the  serious  to  the  trivial,  or  the  mental  to  the  bodily. 
Examples  will  arise  to  infinity.  A  perfectly  straight  course 
pursued  normally  by  a  normal  being  to  the  end  and  with- 
out interruption  can  never  be  funny.  Indeed,  it  can  not 
be  even  interesting,  as  readers  of  plotless  novels  constantly 
find  out. 

(b)  Unexpected  variation  is  another  quality  which  in- 
heres in  the  humorous — that  is,  it  must  be  unexpected  to 
the  victim,  and  sometimes  also  to  the  spectator,  though 
the  very  essence  of  the  comic  may  lie  in  seeing  the  victim 


HUMOROUS   WRITING  95 

march  blithely  on  to  his  prepared  Waterloo — "A  School 
for  Scandal"  furnished  a  historic  instance. 

But  (c)  the  extent  of  the  variation  from  the  normal,  or  the 
expected — for  not  all  expected  outcomes  are  normal — 
governs  the  humorous  absolutely.  Here  we  must  note 
three  things:  The  variation  must  be  sufficient  to  produce 
something  (i)  incongurous — like  a  wild  clutching  at  a 
support  that  is  not  reachable;  or  (2)  surprisingly  apt — 
as  the  retort  in  the  time-worn  pun:  "I  fell  notwithstand- 
ing;" yet  (3)  not  sufficient  to  produce  a  serious  feeling, 
like  that  of  righteous  anger,  or  pity,  or  deep  contempt. 

Good  sense  is  at  once  the  basis  of  and  the  limit  to  all 
humor.  He  who  lacks  a  fine  perception  of  "  the  difference 
between  what  things  are  and  what  they  ought  to  be,"  as 
the  always-to-be-quoted  Hazlitt  expressed  it,  can  never 
write  humor.  All  the  way  through  we  shall  find  that 
mirth  is  a  matter  of  relationships,  of  shift,  of  rigidity 
trying  to  be  flexible,  of  something  shocked  into  something 
else. 

Let  us  think  of  a  circle  on  which  four  points  have  been 
marked: 

5.  The  Serious  i 


4   The  Contemptible     £  6      -  The  Laughable 


3.  The  Ridiculous 


96  WRITING  FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

Beginning  with  a  serious  idea,  we  may  swiftly  step  from 
point  to  point  until  we  return  to  the  serious,  with  only 
slight  variations  from  the  original  conception.  Take  the 
perennial  comedy-theme  of  the  impish  collar,  and  visualize 
the  scenes: 

1.  A  man  starts  to  button  his  collar.    Nothing  is  less 
comical,  so  long  as  the  operation  proceeds  normally. 

2.  But  the  button  is  too  large  and  his  efforts  begin  to 
exasperate  him,  with  the  result  that  his  expression  and 
movements  become  incongruous.     We  see,  and  laugh — 
though  he  does  not. 

3.  He  begins  to  hop  around  in  a  mad  attempt  to  button 
the  unbuttonable,  and  soon  rips  off  the  collar,  addressing 
it  in  unparliamentary  language.    He  is  ludicrous,  ridicu- 
lous, absurd. 

4.  In  his  rage  he  violently  kicks  a  pet  dog  that  comes 
wagging  up  to  him.    Our  laughter  subsides,  for  the  fellow 
is  more  contemptible  than  amusing — a  deeper  feeling  has 
been  born  in  us. 

5.  The  little  dog  limps  off  with  a  broken  leg — we  are 
no  longer  amused,  we  are  indignant.    What  is  more,  not 
only  have  we  gotten  back  to  the  serious,  but  there  is  no 
amusement  left  in  any  of  the  previous  scenes. 

Still  applying  the  test  of  the  extent  of  the  variation  from 
the  normal  as  shown  in  the  effects,  we  conclude  that 
serious  consequences  kill  humor.  The  mere  idea  of 
such  consequences,  when  we  know  that  in  the  circum- 
stances they  are  really  impossible,  may  convulse  us  with 
merriment,  as  when  we  see  a  comedian  jab  a  long  finger 
into  the  mouth  of  his  teammate  and  the  latter  chews  it 


HUMOROUS   WRITING  97 

savagely.  In  real  life  this  might  sicken  us  with  disgust — I 
say  "might,"  because  we  can  easily  conceive  of  such  a 
situation's  exciting  laughter  if  the  victim  were  well  de- 
serving of  the  punishment.  It  is  human  for  us  to  laugh 
when  the  biter  is  bit;  indeed,  variations  on  this  theme  are 
endless  in  humorous  writing. 

Sympathy  also  kills  humor.  The  moment  that  we  begin 
to  pity  the  victim  of  a  joke — for  humor  has  much  to  do 
with  victims — our  laughter  dies  away.  Therefore  the 
subject  of  the  joke  must  not  be  one  for  whose  distress  we 
feel  strong  sympathy.  The  thing  that  happens  to  a  fop 
is  quite  different  in  effect  from  that  which  affects  a  sweet 
old  lady.  True,  we  often  laugh  at  those — or  at  those 
ideas — with  whom  or  with  which  we  are  in  sympathy,  but 
in  such  an  instance  the  ludicrous  for  the  moment  over- 
whelms our  sympathy — and  sometimes  even  destroys  it. 

Once  let  an  editor  feel  that  we  are  lacking  in  justice, 
humanity,  sympathy,  generosity,  and  a  sense  of  what  is 
right,  and  our  supposed  jest  is  rejected.  It  requires  the 
good  sense  which  we  have  seen  lying  beneath  the  idea  of 
the  comic  to  know  what  subjects  to  let  alone  when  jesting, 
for  it  is  idle  to  say  that  we  may  not  make  fun  with  serious 
matters.  We  are  constantly  doing  so,  and  doing  so  most 
usefully,  for  too  much  reverence  is  the  foe  of  progress.  It 
is  in  itself  funny  to  be  too  serious.  The  inexcusable  thing 
is  to  turn  serious  or  sacred  matters  to  ridicule  without 
thereby  enforcing  a  counter  truth  which  has  been  neglected. 

The  political  cartoon  furnishes  an  example  in  point. 
The  drawing  may  serve  to  elevate  the  true  presidential 
idea  by  depicting  a  bumptious  chief  executive  as  trying  to 


98  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

sit  down  on  Uncle  Sam,  whereas  it  would  be  mere  vilifica- 
tion to  picture  him  as  spitting  on  Congress.  We  respect 
the  judiciary,  yet  it  might  be  ludicrous  to  see  a  judge  pay- 
ing more  attention  to  a  legal  precedent  than  to  the  work- 
ing of  justice,  and  it  would  be  a  mild  and  wholesome  cor- 
rective for  society  to  laugh  such  a  judge  out  of  his  folly. 

Serious  matters  pressed  to  extremes  thus  lend  themselves 
to  humor,  but  more  to  wit,  which  laughs  at  the  victim,  not 
with  him,  as  often  has  been  said;  for  wit  is  a  rapier,  while 
humor  is  the  wind  that  may  sting  without  wounding. 
When  Mark  Twain  says  of  a  certain  character,  "He  was 
a  good  man,  though  he  was  a  clergyman,"  we  chuckle  at 
his  wit,  whether  we  sympathize  much  or  little  with  the 
clergy  as  a  class.  The  sly  innuendo  makes  a  sudden  break 
in  a  normal  course  of  the  thought,  with  a  resultant  idea 
which  is  either  incongruous  or  surprisingly  apt — according 
to  our  viewpoint.  When  a  wag  said  that  Phillips  Brooks 
was  "an  Episcopalian  with  a  leaning  toward  Christianity" 
he  may  have  been  unjust  to  the  Bishop,  to  the  Church, 
or  to  Christianity — or  to  all  or  to  none.  The  witty  remark 
nevertheless  sets  one  to  thinking  toward  a  conclusion 
suitable  to  his  own  temper. 

When  looking  for  laughter-provoking  material  it  is  well 
to  remember  that  there  are 

2.  Six  Kinds  of  Humor 

Under  these  general  groups  all  mirthful  notions  may  be 
grouped : 

(a)  Form,  as  a  funny  face. 


HUMOROUS   WRITING  99 

(b)  Movement,  as  ludicrous  gestures. 

(c)  Situation,  as  a  fat  man  treed  by  a  playful  but  seem- 
ingly fierce  dog. 

(d)  Character,  as  an  absent-minded  scholar. 

(e)  Idea,  as  when  Mark  Twain  said,  "Be  good  and  you 
will  be  lonesome." 

(f)  Word,  as:  He  was  a  virtuous  rogue,  with  damnably 
good  habits. 

It  is  plain  at  once  that  all  these  sorts  freely  interpene- 
trate. In  the  briefest  forms  of  humorous  writings  they 
of  course  are  seen  singly,  yet  when  two  or  more  are  com- 
bined we  find  the  humor  increasing.  The  man  of  funny 
face  will,  let  us  say,  move  comically,  get  into  laughable 
situations,  and  reveal  his  oddities  of  character  by  his 
ludicrous  ideas  and  his  droll  words — here  we  have  the  six 
forms  combined. 

j.  The  Common  Types  of  Humorous  Writing 

(a)  The  Epigram  is  a  bright  thought  compacted  into  a 
single  detached  sentence — the  briefer  the  better.  Wit  is 
its  body,  and  sting  is  in  its  tail.  Satire,  irony,  even  the 
sardonic,  chooses  the  epigram  for  its  own. 

The  epigram  may  be  sold  singly  or  in  related  groups, 
and  occasionally  epigrammatists  like  Minna  Thomas  An- 
trim attain  to  book  publication.  Mrs.  Antrim's  epigrams 
make  up  at  least  a  dozen  bright  little  volumes.1 

Antithesis,  the  witty  revelation  of  an  unsuspected  like- 
ness, and  sudden  contrast,  are  the  bases  of  most  epigrams, 

1  Most  of  them  are  published  by  Altemus,  Philadelphia. 


100  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

as  when  Dr.  C.  H.  Parkhurst  thus  opened  the  famous 
sermon  in  which  he  paid  his  respects  to  Tammany  Hall: 

The  wicked  flee  when  no  man  pursueth,  but  they  make  better 
time  when  someone  is  after  them. 

The  foregoing  example  also  illustrates  a  common  epi- 
grammatic form — the  expanded  aphorism.  Here  is  a  more 
recent  example  from  Puck: 

COMPENSATION 

A  rolling  stone  gathers  no  moss,  but  it  gets  so  smooth  that 
nobody  has  anything  on  it. 

Akin  to  this  type  is  this  twisted  aphorism  from  Life: 
Talkers  rush  in  where  thinkers  fear  to  tread. 

The  most  difficult  epigram,  however,  and  probably  the 
most  salable,  is  the  purely  original  quip : 

It  is  hard  lines  to  hear  a  witty  fellow  say  the  very  thing  you 
have  been  trying  to  say. — Lippincott's. 

(b)  The  Anecdote  is  a  short  incident  illustrating  a  definite 
point,  told  of  a  real  or  a  fictitious  person.1  Its  humor  is 
chiefly  that  of  character  and  of  situation.  Two  hundred 
words  may  safely  be  taken  as  its  extreme  of  length,  and 
if  the  story  can  be  compressed  within  one  hundred,  it  is 
by  so  much  the  better. 

1  Professor  Henri  Bergson  in  his  valuable  essay,  Laughter,  has 
called  attention  to  the  fact  that  all  humor  has  to  do  with  human 
beings.  " Several  have  defined  man  as  ' an  animal  which  laughs.' 
They  might  equally  well  have  denned  him  as  an  animal  which  is 
laughed  at;  for  if  any  other  animal,  or  some  lifeless  object,  pro- 
duces the  same  effect,  it  is  always  because  of  some  resemblance 
to  man,  of  the  stamp  he  gives  it  or  the  use  he  puts  it  to." 


HUMOROUS   WRITING  IOI 

It  is  a  fashion  nowadays  to  concoct  or  even  revamp 
anecdotes  and  attach  to  them  the  names  of  persons  in  the 
public  eye.  If  the  story  is  a  good  one  the  alleged  originator 
does  not  rise  to  object.  Doubtless  many  a  stodgy  states- 
man has  in  this  way  passed  for  a  wit. 

Four  vital  things  must  be  kept  in  mind  by  anecdote 
writers: 

(1)  Not  one  word  may  be  wasted  in  preliminaries  not 
absolutely  needed  to  lay  the  foundation  for  the  point. 

(2)  The  preliminaries  must  not  give  away  the  point. 

(3)  The  surprising  point  must  come  suddenly.   (4)  The 
point  must  be  so  good  that  it  will  upon  reflection  justify 
the  preliminaries. 

A  pointless  anecdote  is  not  an  anecdote,  it  is  a  bore. 

THE  BEST  COURSE 

At  the  Lambs  Club  one  night  a  player  whose  conceit  is  in 
inverse  ratio  to  his  ability  was  complaining  to  William  Collier 
that,  by  reason  of  the  curious  hostility  of  the  critics,  he  was  unable 
to  obtain  a  lucrative  engagement. 

"What  do  they  say?"  asked  Collier. 

"That's  just  it — they  don't  say  anything  about  me.  I  tell 
you  there  is  a  conspiracy  of  silence  against  me.  What  would 
you  do?" 

"Join  it,"  advised  Collier. — Lippincotfs. 

TOO  GOOD  TO  BE  WASTED 

A  lady  of  great  beauty  and  attractiveness,  who  was  an  ardent 
admirer  of  Ireland,  once  crowned  her  praise  of  it  at  a  party  by 
saying : 

"I  think  I  was  meant  for  an  Irishwoman." 

"Madam,"  rejoined  a  witty  son  of  Erin,  "thousands  would 
back  me  in  saying  you  were  meant  for  an  Irishman." — Tit-Bits. 


102  '  . »WRmN<> -£GR  me  MAGAZINES 

Besides  being  examples  of  pure  wit,  the  foregoing 
anecdotes  are  told  in  what  may  be  called  the  simple  style. 
Here  is  one  which  is  in  the  compound  form: 

The  son  of  Professor  Ormond,  of  Oxford,  was  about  to  be  mar- 
ried, and  father  and  son  had  come  to  the  door  of  their  home  to 
greet  the  groomsman,  who  was  arriving  from  London.  Just  as 
the  young  man  reached  the  top  step  he  slipped  and  fell. 

"Why,  my  boy,  that's  too  bad!  How  did  you  come  to  fall?" 
asked  the  professor  anxiously. 

"By  Jove,  Sir,  I  didn't  come  to  fall,"  laughed  the  young  man, 
"I  came  to  stand  up  with  your  son." 

The  professor  was  so  much  tickled  by  the  retort  that  he  told 
the  incident  next  day  at  the  Faculty  Club.  "That  young  beggar 
is  witty,"  said  he.  "When  I  asked  him  how  he  came  to  fall,  what 
do  you  think  he  said?  '  Jove,  Sir,'  said  he, '  I  didn't  intend  to  fall 
at  all — I  came  to  be  your  son's  groomsman.'  Ah — Eh — or  words 
to  that  effect." 

If  you  purpose  writing  anecdotes  it  would  be  quite 
worth  while  to  make  cuttings  of  a  number  of  anecdotes  so 
as  to  study  the  various  ways  in  which  they  are  told.  The 
variety  of  devices  used  to  bring  out  the  point  effectively 
may  prove  not  only  surprising  but  helpful  in  suggesting 
new  styles  for  story-telling.  Manner  is  as  important  here 
as  matter.  A  few  cleverly  told  anecdotes  begin  at  the 
beginning;  most  do  not;  but  all  good  ones  end  at  the  end. 
If  you  feel  like  adding  a  moral  or  a  homily,  don't.  It  is 
far  better  to  suggest  your  lesson,  if  you  have  one,  and  let 
the  climax  of  the  story  drive  home  the  point,  as  in  the 
following  from  Lippincott's: 

THE  HOBOES  NEED  A   UNION 

A  man  who  insists  upon  starting  his  "help"  to  work  too  early 
in  the  mornings  is  justly  an  object  of  suspicion. 


HUMOROUS  WRITING  103 

Last  summer  a  Connecticut  farmer  was  approached  by  a 
tramp  who  asked  for  something  to  eat  and  a  night's  lodging.  It 
was  pretty  well  toward  evening  and  the  work  was  all  done,  so 
the  farmer  gave  the  man  his  supper  and  sent  him  to  the  barn  to 
sleep,  with  the  understanding  that  the  hobo  was  to  be  called 
next  morning  in  time  to  work  out  his  "keep." 

About  half-past  three  the  farmer  routed  him  out. 

"What's  all  this,  boss?"  murmured  the  tramp,  rubbing  his 
eyes. 

"Time  to  get  up  and  work." 

"What  doing?" 

"We're  going  to  reap." 

"Reap  what?" 

"Oats." 

"Are  they  wild  oats,  boss?" 

"Wildcats?    No,  of  course  not.    Why?" 

"Well,  boss,  if  they  ain't  wild  oats,  why  do  you  have  to  sneak 
up  on  'em  like  this  in  trie  dark?" 

(c)  Various  Forms  of  Short  Jests.  Here  I  shall  want  to 
give  many  more  examples  illustrating  different  kinks  in 
the  laughable  than  are  cited  under  the  headings  preceding 
and  following,  for  the  reason  that  the  short  joke  or  jest 
admits  of  expansion  in  so  many  instances  that  the  same 
basis  of  variation  from  the  normal  or  the  expected  to  the 
point  of  incongruity  or  surprising  aptness  will  be  found 
in  the  funny  plot  in  comedy  and  fiction,  and  in  the  humor- 
ous article,  as  in  the  witticism  and  the  joke.  It  will  doubt- 
less be  enough  in  most  instances  to  call  attention  to  the 
form  of  the  twist,  without  comment — and  this  solely  for 
the  purpose  of  stimulating  invention,  and  distinctly  not 
with  the  object  of  listing  all  the  kinds  of  jests — for  they 
are  legion.  Now  and  then  time-worn  jokes  have  been 
selected  as  being  more  typically  exemplar  than  newer  ones 


IO4  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

— if  such  there  be  I    Often  one  joke  will  serve  to  illustrate 
more  than  one  twist. 

Incongruous  disparity  between  cause  and  effect 

AN  EXPLANATION 

Thix  wax  the  laxt  article  in  thix  ixxue  to  be  xet  up,  and  juxt 
ax  the  type  xetter  attacked  it  he  broke  the  matrix  for  a  certain 
letter.  It  ix  not  eaxy  to  xpecify  it,  but  we  may  xay  that  it  xtandx 
between  r  and  t  in  the  alphabet.  He  found  an  extra  x,  however, 
xo  he  xupplied  the  mixxing  letter  by  making  thix  ridiculoux 
xubxtitution.  Pleaxe  excuxe  thix  embarraxxing  xituation.  It 
ix  perhapx  fortunate  that  we  have  no  xpace  to  xay  more. 

Incongruity  of  paradox 

The  more  I  think  of  that  man  the  less  I  think  of  him. 

— Charles  Lamb. 

Incongruity  from  unreasonableness 

When  General  D.  McM.  Gregg  was  asked  to  be  a  candidate 
for  the  Mayoralty  of  Reading,  Pa.,  he  said:  "No,  gentlemen,  I 
can't — they  would  charge  my  father  with  being  a  horse  thief; 
and  the  worst  of  it  is  that  they  would  prove  it." 

Incongruity  from  sudden  contrast 

A  timid  mouse  that  lived  in  a  cellar  was  in  mortal  fear  of  the 
huge  house  cat.  One  day  the  mouse  chanced  upon  a  wine  barrel, 
leaking  at  the  bung.  She  cautiously  dipped  one  paw  in  the  rich 
fluid,  licked  it,  and  then  began  to  take  notice.  She  dipped  in  the 
other  paw,  licked  it,  and  felt  more  enthusiastic.  After  several 
more  samples  she  rolled  over  and  over  in  the  pool  of  wine  and 
licked  herself  off  happily.  Then  suddenly  she  started  up  the 
cellar  stairs,  saying:  "Now  where  the is  that  cat!" 

Incongruity  from  transposed  letters  in  words 

A  TRIAL  OF  FAITH 

A  pastor  in  western  Pennsylvania,  who  until  recently  was  a 
believer  in  the  literal  answer  to  prayer,  is  now,  with  some  trepida- 


HUMOROUS   WRITING  105 

tion,  taking  stock  of  his  faith.  Not  long  ago  a  visiting  fellow- 
clergyman  prayed  fervently  in  his  pulpit  to  this  effect: 

"May  the  brother  who  ministers  to  this  flock  be  filled  full  of 
fresh  veal  and  new  zigor." 

The  startled  pastor  says  that  he  doesn't  object  to  fresh  veal 
in  moderation,  but  does  object  to  having  one  of  these  new  break- 
fast-foods forced  upon  him. — Harper's  Magazine. 

Incongruity  from  discovering  needless  effort 

A  woman  wound  her  clock  every  night  for  nine  years  and  then 
discovered  that  it  was  an  eight-day  clock. 

Contrast  this  with  the  serious  feeling  one  experiences  on 
learning  the  denouement  of  Maupassant's  "The  Necklace." 

Incongruity  of  farcical  tone 

Enter  Hamlet 

POLONIUS:  Your  majesty,  yonder  comes  Hamlet. 

THE  KING:   Ah,  he  knows  I  croaked  his  old  man! 

— Miss  Hamlet. 

Incongruity  from  suddenly  facing  the  impossible 

"By  ginger,"  said  the  farmer,  "do  the  cheeky  fellers  that  sur- 
veyed the  new  railroad  right  through  my  double  barn  think  I'm 
a-goin'  to  stand  out  thar  an*  open  an'  shet  the  doors  ev'ry  time 
one  o'  their  durn  trains  come  along?" 

Incongruity  from  suddenly  facing  the  embarrassing  or 
the  improper 

SHAME  ON  UNCLE! 

BOBBY:    "My  Uncle  Sam  keeps  squabs.    Do  you  know  what 

squabs  are?" 

TOMMY:  "Yes,  I  do.    It's  what  the  Injuns  call  their  wives." 
BILLY:    "No,  'tain't  neither,  it's  what  my  Uncle  Hen  chases 

when  he  hunts  in  New  York." 

Incongruity  from  suddenly  facing  the  unaccountable 

A  countryman,  who  had  stood  a  long  while  facing  a  circus 


106  WRITING  FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

poster  showing  a  giraffe,  suddenly  turned  away  with  the  disgusted 
remark:   "Shucks,  there  ain't  no  such  animule!" 

Incongruity  of  accumulated  difficulties 
TELLING  HIM 

SMALL  BOY:  "Good  fishin'?"  "Yes  sir;  ye  go  down  that 
private  road  till  ye  come  to  th'  sign  '  Trespassers  Will  Be  Prose- 
cuted,' cross  the  field  with  th'  bull  in  it  an'  you'll  see  a  sign  'No 
Fishing  Allowed' — that's  it." — Life. 

The  surprise  of  fitness,  or  congruity 
REASON  ENOUGH 

HAROLD:  "What  are  you  picking  on  me  for?  I  didn't  do 
anything!" 

MICKEY:  "Ye  don't  have  t'  do  nuthin'.  It's  yer  looks  that 
gits  me  goat." — Judge. 

The  intentional  twist  of  meaning 

HIS  HANDICAP 

FIRST  REPORTER:    "Senator  Bullyun  must  have  been  a  bright 

baby." 

SECOND  REPORTER:   "Why  do  you  think  so?" 

FIRST  REPORTER:   "He  told  me  in  an  interview  that  he  began 

life  as  a  schoolteacher." — Indianapolis  Star. 

The  absent-minded  blunder 

OUT  OF  ORDER 

PROVERBIAL  ABSENT-MINDED  PROFESSOR:  "Goodness!  That 
clock  needs  fixing.  It  just  struck  one,  four  times." 

— Harvard  Lampoon. 

The  blunder  of  presumptuous  ignorance 
SHARP  EYES 

FIRST  LADY:   "That's  one  of  them  Australian  soldiers." 
SECOND  LADY:   " How  do  you  know? " 

FIRST  LADY:  "Why,  can't  you  see  the  kangaroo  feathers  in 
his  hat?"— Punch. 


HUMOROUS   WRITING  107 

The  blunder  of  simple  ignorance 
TRUSTING 

The  violin  was  made  in  1626  by  Fecit  Anno  Domini.  Proof  of 
the  date  is  to  be  seen  on  an  age- worn  paper  inside  of  the  case. 

—  Valparaiso  (Ind.)  Vidette. 

The  unintentional  thrust 

HE  LOOKED  IT 

The  governor's  wife  was  telling  Bridget  about  her  husband. 

"My  husband,  Bridget,"  she  said  proudly,  "is  the  head  of  the 
state  militia." 

"  Oi  fought  as  much,  ma'am,"  said  Bridget  cheerfully.  "  Ain't 
he  got  the  foine  malicious  look?" — Southern  Woman's  Magazine. 

The  truth  ignorantly  spoken 

JOHNNY  (to  his  sister's  admirer):  "Say,  Mr.  Barton,  I'd  like 
to  see  you  drink." 

BARTON:   "Why,  Johnny?" 

JOHNNY:   "Brother  says  you  drink  like  a  fish." 

The  blunder  from  literalness 

POLITE  BUT  FIRM 

Mrs.  N.  was  giving  instructions  to  her  new  servant:  "Before 
removing  the  soup-plates,  Mary,  always  ask  each  person  if  he 
or  she  would  like  any  more." 

"Very  good,  madam." 

Next  day  Mary,  respectfully  bowing  to  one  of  the  guests, 
inquired,  "Would  the  gentleman  like  some  more  soup?" 

"Yes,  please." 

"There  ain't  any  left." — Chicago  Journal. 

The  blunder  of  simplicity 

SPEEDING  IT  ON 

The  musketry-instructor  had  just  been  giving  a  lesson  on  the 
rifle  to  one  particularly  "green"  set  of  recruits.  At  the  end  he 
asked:  "Now,  is  there  any  question  you  want  to  ask? " 


108  WRITING  FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

One  dull-looking  Johnny  Raw  stept  forward,  blushing  awk- 
wardly. 

"Yes,  my  man?"  said  the  instructor,  encouragingly. 

"Plaze,  sor,"  stammered  the  searcher  after  knowledge,  "is  it 
roight  that  the  harder  Oi  pull  the  trigger-thing  the  farder  the 
bullet  goes?" — Tit-Bits. 

Naive  over-seriousness 

GIRL  PRAYING:    "Excuse  me,  O  Lord,  there's  the  'phone." 

— Life. 
Surprising  obviousness,  with  local  satire 

HOW  SHE  DID  IT 

The  latest  Boston  story  is  about  a  small  child  who  fell  out  of  a 
window.  A  kind-hearted  lady  came  hurrying  up  with  the  anxious 
question,  "  Dear,  dear !  How  did  you  fall?  " 

The  child  looked  up  at  the  questioner  and  replied,  in  a  voice 
choked  with  sobs,  "Vertically,  ma'am." — Tit-Bits. 

An  unexpected  truth 

HE  KNEW 

"Do  you  know  where  the  little  boys  go  who  don't  put  their. 
Sunday  School  money  in  the  plate?  " 

"Yes'm — to  the  movies." — Williams  Purple  Cow. 

Transposed  moral  ideas 

"Well,  you  did  steal  it,  didn't  you? "  % 

"No!  Do  you  think  I'd  sell  my  character  for  such  a  small 
sum!" 

Anachronism  of  incidents 

Bill  Nye's  "Comic  History  of  the  United  States." 

Surprise  from  lapse  of  memory 

A  clergyman  was  addressing  an  informal  gathering  at  which  the 
Bishop  was  present  on  the  platform. 

"My  brethren,"  said  the  minister,  "on  this  subject  our  good 
Bishop  made  a  remark  to  me  yesterday  that  I  shall  never  forget. 
It  impressed  me  most  profoundly.  He  said ." 


HUMOROUS  WRITING  IOQ 

Then  after  a  moment's  painful  hesitation  he  turned  to  the 
Bishop  with  an  agonized  stage-whisper:  "For  pity's  sake, 
Bishop,  what  was  that  you  said  yesterday?" 

Naive  inference 

HIS  AFFLICTION 

A  teacher  had  told  a  class  of  juvenile  pupils  that  Milton,  the 
poet,  was  blind.  The  next  day  she  asked  if  any  of  them  could 
remember  what  Milton's  great  affliction  was.  "Yes'm,"  replied 
one  little  fellow;  "he  was  a  poet." — Argonaut. 

Unintentional  inference  from  a  mistake 

WHY  SOME  MEN  ARE  SINGLE 

A.  O.  Lundquist,  who  was  married  three  weeks  ago,  is  able  to 
be  out  again  and  will  likely  be  able  to  assume  his  duties  as  carpen- 
ter and  contractor  soon. — The  Montezuma  (Colo.)  Journal. 

Direct  unexpected  inference — double  entendre 
A  HINT 

STAGE-MANAGER:  "My  dear,  I  wish  you  would  wear  a  dif- 
ferent gown  in  the  second  act." 

RITA  RAVENYELP:  "But  that  is  the  latest  style,  and  I  paid 
two  hundred  dollars  for  it." 

STAGE-MANAGER:  "That  may  be  true,  but  when  your  hus- 
band says:  'Woman,  you  are  hiding  something  from  me,'  the 
audience  can't  figure  out  what  he  means." — Judge. 

Satirical  inference 

COURAGEOUS 

"One  wife  too  many!"  exclaimed  Mrs.Wederly,  as  she  glanced 
at  the  headlines  of  her  husband's  paper,  "I  suppose  that  is  an 
account  of  the  doings  of  some  bigamist?" 

"Not  necessarily,  my  dear,"  replied  her  husband,  without 
daring  to  look  up. — Buffalo  Courier. 

The  rebuke  by  inference 

SEXTON:   "Dogs  are  not  admitted  here,  sir." 
VISITOR:   "That's  not  my  dog." 


110  WRITING  FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

SEXTON:   "Not  your  dog?    Why,  he's  following  you." 
VISITOR:   "Well,  so  are  you." 

The  alleged  misunderstanding 

A  LEFT-HAND  STAB 

PHYSICS  INSTRUCTOR:   "Name  the  unit  of  power,  Mr.  Jones." 

JONES  (waking  up) :   "  The  what  ? ' ' 

INSTRUCTOR:  "Correct.  t  Any  questions?  All  right.  We  have 
a  few  minutes  before  the  end  of  the  hour  in  which  we  will  do  this 
problem:  A  man  on  a  bicycle  approaches  a  four-per-cent  grade; 
how  far  has  he  come  and  will  he  have  to  get  off  and  walk?  " 

— Cornell  Widow. 

The  twist  based  on  a  foible 

NOUNETTE :   "This  is  my  newest  dress,  how  do  you  like  it?  " 
GABRIELLE  :  "It's  beautiful,  I  had  one  exactly  like  it  last  year. ' ' 

— Puck. 

Inversion  of  words  and  ideas 

An  old  Scotchman  was  standing  with  his  dog  before  a  stall  of 
sea  food.  Suddenly  he  heard  a  wild  yelp  and  turned  to  see  his 
dog  streaking  down  street  with  a  lobster  nipped  to  his  tail. 

"Mon,  mon!"  cried  the  dealer,  "he's  gangin'  awa'  wi'  ane  o' 
my  lobsters !  Whustle  back  yer  dog,  mon,  whustle  back  yer  dog ! ' ' 

"Hoots,  mon,"  said  the  other  angrily,  "whustle  back  yer 
lobster." 

The  "  bull " 

Our  specialty  is  to  do  the  thing  that  has  never  been  done  before 
and  do  it  better. 

The  humor  of  word 

WAR  TALK 

WAITER:   "And  will  you  take  macaroni  au  gratin,  sir?" 
CAPTAIN  OF  ARTILLERY:    "No  macaroni — by  gad.     It's  too 
doocid  difficult  to  mobilize. — London  Opinion. 


HUMOROUS  WRITING  III 

The  verbal  twist 

WELL,  WHY  NOT? 

"Pop,  what  is  a  fortification? " 
"A  fortification,  my  boy,  is  a  big  fort." 
"Then  a  ratification  is  a  big" — 
"Willie,  go  to  bed  at  once!" — Judge. 

Word-play  based  on  reciprocal  words 

"What  do  you  charge  for  your  rooms?" 

"Five  dollars  up." 

"But  I'm  a  student — " 

"Then  it's  five  dollars  down." — Cornell  Widow. 

Word-play  based  on  equivocal  words 

SOLICITUDE  REWARDED 

LADY  BOUNTIFUL  (to  dry-goods  clerk):    "Have  you  any  nice 
warm  underclothing?" 

NEW  ASSISTANT:  "Oh  yes,  miss,  thank  you. — London  Opinion. 

Pun  based  on  words  of  similar  sound 
A  BETTER  SCHEME 

SHE:    "What  did  you  think  of  our  scheme  for  Christmas 
decoration — holly-leaves  over  laurel?" 

HE:   "Well,  I  should  have  preferred  mistletoe  over  yew." 

— Tit-Bits. 

Pun  based  on  different  words  with  similar  spelling 

SHE:    "I  can't  see  what  Mae  has  in  common  with  young 
Highroller." 

HE:   "She's  a  grass  widow  and  he's  a  rake. — Judge. 

Pun  based  on  eqivocal  meanings  of  one  word 
NO  LIMIT 

MRS.  NEWLYWED:  "  I  want  a  cook,  but  she  must  be  capable." 
HEAD  OF  EMPLOYMENT  AGENCY:   "Madam,  I  have  several  on 
my  books  capable  of  anything." — Judge. 


112  WRITING   FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 

The  naive  and  surprising  confession 

ONLY  A  "RING  OFF" 

"Auntie,  did  you  ever  have  a  proposal?" 
"Once,  dear.    A  gentleman  asked  me  to  marry  him  over  the 
telephone,  but  he  had  the  wrong  number." — Harper's. 

The  apt  child-retort 

FUTURE  THEOLOGIAN 

"Bobby,  do  you  know  you've  deliberately  broken  the  eighth 
commandment  by  stealing  James's  candy?" 

"Well,  I  thought  I  might  as  well  break  the  eighth  com- 
mandment and  have  the  candy  as  to  break  the  tenth  and  only 
'  covet '  it. ' ' — Life. 

The  witty  retort 

HANDICAPPED 

With  but  three  minutes  to  catch  his  train,  the  traveling  sales- 
man inquired  of  the  street-car  conductor,  "Can't  you  go  faster 
than  this?" 

"Yes,"  the  bell-ringer  replied,  "but  I  have  to  stay  with  my 
car." — Harper's. 

The  quandary 

RATHER  DIFFICULT 

CHEERFUL  ONE  (to  newcomer,  on  being  asked  what  the 
trenches  are  like) :  "If  yer  stands  up  yer  get  sniped;  if  yer  keeps 
down  yer  gets  drowned;  if  yer  moves  about  yer  gets  shelled; 
and  if  yer  stands  still  yer  gets  court-martialed  for  frost-bite." 

— Punch. 

Satire 

THE  SECRET 

"What  is  an  amateur? "  is  still  one  of  the  raging  queries  of  the 
hour.  But,  in  spite  of  all  the  recent  discussion,  we  haven't 
changed  the*  answer  we  evolved  four  years  ago,  viz.,  "Any  one 
who  can  get  away  with  it." — New  York  Tribune. 


HUMOROUS   WRITING  113 

(d)  Humorous  articles  are  so  various,  and  so  often  colored 
by  the  demands  of  particular  magazines,  that  scarcely 
anything  helpful  can  be  said  here,  more  than  to  direct 
attention  to  the  importance  of  observing  carefully  three 
things  before  submitting  material  to  a  magazine:    study 
the  literary  standard  maintained,  the  tone  evidently  pre- 
ferred by  the  editor  (whether  satirical,  rollicking,  subtle, 
timely,  political,  social,  or  what  not),  and  the  average 
length  of  material  used.     These   considerations  apply 
especially  to  Life,  Judge,  Puck,  Vanity  Fair,  and  other 
magazines  devoted  largely  to  humor.     Restrictions  of 
literary  quality  and  length  are  not  of  quite  so  much  im- 
portance in  submitting  material  to  the  newspapers,  yet 
they  must  be  weighed  well  there  also. 

(e)  Humorous  fiction,  as  has  already  been  said,  uses  the 
same  fundamental  ideas  as  are  found  in  the  jest,  yet 
obviously  the  methods  are  quite  different.     All  the  six 
types  of  humor  have  full  play  in  the  story,  particularly 
humor  of  situation,  of  character,  of  idea,  and  of  word. 
Plot  is,  of  course,  the  prime  requisite.     Given  a  really 
humorous  situation,  and  the  chances  for  the  story  are  very- 
good  indeed. 

Since  fiction  in  general  is  reserved  for  treatment  in  a 
later  chapter,  only  a  few  more  words  need  here  be  said. 
Two  considerations  are  large  in  importance:  when  humor 
is  mingled  with  sentiment  the  largest  public  is  appealed  to; 
and,  it  is  not  well  to  over-weight  a  story  with  humor, 
particularly  with  farce — it  may  become  silly.  Contrast 
is  the  secret  of  good  humorous  work — contrast  of  char- 
acter with  character,  situation  with  situation,  language 


114  WRITING   FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

with  language,   setting  with  setting — and  each  with  the 
other. 

4.  Hints  on  Methods  of  Work 

Study  the  materials  and  the  methods  of  successful 
humorists,  but  do  not  be  tempted  to  re-vamp  their  jests. 
Analysis  of  the  work  of  others  will  pay  you,  but  in  your 
note-book  set  down,  not  their  ideas,  but  the  ideas  their 
writings  call  out  from  your  own  mind. 

Most  humorous  writing  is  done  backwards — that  is,  the 
point  is  first  decided  on,  then  the  epigram,  anecdote,  jest, 
article,  or  story  is  built  up  so  as  to  lead  naturally,  swiftly 
and  surprisingly  to  the  pre-conceived  climax. 

Less  and  less  humor  of  the  slap-stick,  or  rough,  farcical 
type,  is  used,  and  more  of  the  subtle  sort.  For  this  reason 
inference  is  a  much-used  method,  and  sparkling  brevity 
most  desirable. 

Give  careful  attention  to  the  titles  of  your  anecdotes, 
jests  and  articles.  Many  seen  in  print  are  vapid;  for 
proof,  read  the  titles  quoted  in  this  chapter — some  are 
very  weak.  Or  scrutinize  the  magazines  and  newspapers 
— the  same  criticism  applies.  The  title  to  a  humorous 
piece  should  be  crisp,  suggestive,  apt,  yet  not  so  explicit 
as  to  forecast  the  point,  or  outcome. 

Practice  variety  of  presentation.  The  old  "Bud  and 
Scud"  and  "Mrs.  Hashleigh,"  "He  and  She,"  and  similar 
hoary  schemes  will,  I  suppose,  always  be  used,  but  that 
supplies  no  excuse  for  failure  to  seek  for  something 
fresher. 

Practice  in  highly  compressed  dialogue  is  essential.    Let 


HUMOROUS   WRITING  115 

what  the  characters  say  suggest  what  they  are — do  not 
simply  tell  about  them. 

Use  description  most  sparingly,  and  when  you  do  de- 
scribe a  character  let  it  be  by  a  single  all-inclusive  sentence, 
if  in  a  story;  or  by  nouns  (substantives)  rather  than  by 
adjectives,  if  in  an  anecdote.  Ten  needless  words  can  kill 
five  hundred  well-chosen  ones. 

In  basing  a  jest,  an  anecdote,  or  a  story  on  a  humorous 
character,  set  the  character  in  motion  promptly — not 
necessarily  physical  motion,  but  moving  with  or  against 
the  forces  and  characters  of  the  piece  you  are  writing.  It 
is  the  direction  and  the  changes  of  direction  which  a  char- 
acter takes  that  govern  his  humorous  effect  on  the  reader. 
Simple  normality  never  produces  a  comic  effect.  This  is 
worth  repeating. 

Exaggeration  and  restrained  character  burlesque  is  a 
method  much  used  by  the  funny  men.  In  humor  we  are 
interested  chiefly  in  the  things  that  make  characters  or 
situations  different  from  all  others.  We  already  know  the 
things  that  make  them  alike.  Equivocal  actions  and 
situations,  men  working  while  unconscious  that  they  are 
being  observed,  natural  and  unforced  misunderstandings, 
characteristic  repetitions  of  habits  and  words  (used  spar- 
ingly and  at  critical  moments),  seriousness  when  others 
are  amused,  traits  of  character  rather  than  mere  eccentrici- 
ties of  body  and  dress,  twisted  yet  ingeniously  specious  rea- 
soning, lovable  foibles,  something  amusingly  "mechanical 
encrusted  upon  the  living,"  together  with  struggle,  all  the 
time  struggle — these  are  the  things  that  make  humor  humor. 

Mirth-provoking  ideas  are  everywhere.    Today  as  I  was 


Il6  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

writing  these  lines,  by  some  quirk  an  alarm  clock  began  to 
sound  in  another  room.  In  a  minute  it  sounded  again. 
Then  again.  It  became  laughable.  Then  a  member  of 
the  household  began  futile  efforts  (two  big  words  in  humor) 
to  make  it  keep  quiet.  But  it  refused  until  the  spring  had 
run  down — yet  by  simply  pushing  a  lever  it  might  have 
been  stopped  at  once.  A  humorist  would  invent  any  num- 
ber of  increasingly  funny  efforts  to  stop  an  alarm  clock 
which  persisted  in  going  off  at  all  sorts  of  untoward  times. 
The  tendency,  of  course,  is  to  do  this  sort  of  thing 
merely  as  a  sketch — it  will  have  ten  times  the  market  value 
when  worked  into  a  plot,  with  enough  other  action  to  save 
it  from  being  a  mere  funny  picture.  This  qualification  is 
vital. 

5.  Markets  for  Humor 

The  final  chapter  of  this  book  is  given  to  the  matter  of 
marketing  magazine  material,  yet  here  an  important 
caution  must  be  given:  Do  not  aim  solely,  or  even  chiefly, 
at  the  magazines.  With  a  very  few  exceptions,  all  humor- 
ists have  made  their  public  entry  through  the  newspapers. 
Though  many  dailies  buy  only  a  paste  pot  and  a  pair  of 
shears,  many  others  purchase  all  sorts  of  comic  material. 
If  you  can  sketch,  that  will  help,  but  it  is  not  necessary. 
The  main  thing  is  to  produce  fresh  material  of  as  many 
kinds  as  you  can,  and  keep  on  sending  it  out  with  as  much 
discrimination  as  you  can  muster. 

Do  not  send  more  than  half-a-dozen  anecdotes  or  jokes 
at  a  time.  Send  not  only  to  dailies  but  also  to  Sunday 
papers,  syndicates  and  all  the  magazines  that  use  such 


HUMOROUS   WRITING  1 17 

matter.  You  will  soon  learn  which  ones  pay  and  which 
do  not — for  positively  no  one  can  save  you  the  pangs  of 
giving  birth  to  experience. 

The  most  marketable  thing  in  the  world  is  a  fresh  idea. 
George  Ade  and  Walt  Mason  and  Bill  Nye  and  every  press 
humorist  who  ever  came  to  the  front — each  was  not  only 
able  to  write  good  humorous  stuff  but  produced  a  line  of 
material  stamped  with  his  own  peculiar  quality.  But  none 
of  them  began  by  being  famous. 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Why  is  it  difficult  to  define  the  comic  and  related 
forms? 

2.  Criticise  the  author's  definition. 

3.  Can  you  cite  any  attempt  at  humor  that  failed 
because  it  too 'nearly  approached  the  serious? 

4.  What  do  people  mean  when  they  say,  "I  don't  know 
whether  to  laugh  or  cry?  " 

5.  Invent  five  stages,  in  the  manner  of  the  example 
given  on  page  96,  from  one  of  these  situations:    (a)    A 
man  falls  through  a  ceiling  into  a  bed  room;    (b)   A  man 
tries  to  climb  a  tree;   (c)   A  boy  steals  away  to  swim. 

6.  Name  a  comic  stage-incident  which  would  have 
been  too  serious  to  laugh  at  in  real  life,  and  say  why. 

7.  What  effect  on  written  humor  does  an  air  of  deep 
sincerity  in  the  writer  have? 

8.  Discuss  the  humor  of  any  one  of  the  following: 
George  Ade,  Stephen  Leacock,  Irvin  Cobb,  Jerome  K. 
Jerome,  W.  W.  Jacobs,  Mark  Twain,  any  other  well-known 
humorist. 


Il8  WRITING   FOR   THE  MAGAZINES 

9.    What  is  the  difference  between  comedy  and  farce? 

10.  Give  one  short  example  each  of  humor  and  wit. 

11.  Try  to  show  briefly  how  they  differ. 

12.  Give  one  original  example  each  of  the  six  kinds  of 
humor  (page  98) — no  matter  if  any  one  merges  into  wit. 

13.  Expand  any  one  of  them  into  a  short  magazine  or 
newspaper  offering. 

14.  Clip  at  least  five  varieties  of  newspaper  humor  and 
name  each. 

15.  Write  something  in  the  style  of  any  one  of  these 
cuttings,  but  imitate  the  original  in  matter  as  little  as 
possible. 

1 6.  Write  either  two  original  epigrams  or  one  anecdote. 

17.  If  you  choose  the  epigram,  recast  it  in  two  different 
styles;  if  you  choose  the  anecdote,  recast  it  in  four  styles, 
somewhat  after  the  manner  of  the  anecdotes  given  in  the 
text. 

18.  Write  three  jests,  saying  what  points  they  illustrate. 
If  you  prefer,  take  points  not  illustrated  in  this  chapter, 
for  there  are  many. 

19.  Criticise  any  of  the  titles  of  jests  quoted  in  this 
chapter. 

20.  Suggest  a  better  title  for  each  weak  one. 

21.  Invent  titles  for  three  jests  in  this  chapter  which 
have  no  titles. 

22.  Make  an  analysis  of  any  humorous  article  you 
please. 

23.  Criticise  favorably  or  unfavorably  the  humor  in  any 
magazine  story. 


CHAPTER  IX 


MAGAZINE  POETRY 

It  is  of  course  not  within  the  scope  of  this  work  to  enter 
into  the  theory  of  poetry  and  the  rules  of  versification,1 
but  merely  to  point  out  the  character  and  the  limits  of 
magazine  verse  and  suggest  some  practical  ways  for  mak- 
ing the  most  of  one's  poetic  gifts. 

A  greatly  awakened  interest  in  poetry  is  now  manifest. 
Not  only  are  volumes  of  collected  verse  increasing  in  num- 
ber, and  in  sales  for  each  worthy  volume,  but  the  subject 
is  being  studied  more  than  ever  before,  both  by  writers 
and  by  readers.  Magazines  not  only  precede  but  follow 
books  in  the  culture  of  public  taste.  Just  which  is  pre- 
eminent in  leadership  it  is  difficult  to  say,  but  certainly 
the  magazines  have  educated  the  people  to  look  for  and 
value  a  better  grade  of  poetry  in  the  collected  works  of 
present-day  poets. 

Several  magazines  which  have  lately  appeared — notably 
Poetry,  Chicago,  The  Poetry  Journal,  Boston,  and  The 
Poetry  Review,  Cambridge,  Mass. — are  devoted  exclusively 
to  this  subject.  As  might  be  supposed,  these  little  periodi- 
cals are  less  restrained  by  the  demands  of  popularity  than 
are  the  other  magazines,  so  it  will  hardly  be  valuable  to 
analyze  their  contents.  "Anything  good"  is  what  the 

1  The  Art  of  Versification,  by  J.  Berg  Esenwein  and  Mary 
Eleanor  Roberts,  published  uniform  with  this  volume  in  "THE 
WRITER'S  LIBRARY,"  is  a  complete  treatise  on  both  poetry  and 
versification. 


120 


WRITING  FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 


editors  want — and  this  open  door  will  do  much  to  encour- 
age poets  who  chafe  under  the  requirements  of  brevity, 
broad  appeal,  and  the  agreeable,  which  hedge  about 
virtually  all  the  other  journals. 

/.  Length 

Merit  aside,  for  that  is  an  ever-present  prerequisite, 
length  is  naturally  the  one  great  bar  that  stands  before  the 
poet  who  would  enter  the  magazine  gates.  Only  now  and 
then  do  we  find  a  "long"  poem — by  which,  for  magazine 
uses,  I  mean  one  of,  say,  64  lines.  Indeed,  the  average 
length  of  305  poems,  found  in  examining  99  issues  of  34 
different  (1916)  magazines  was  slightly  over  25  lines.  In 
considering  this  average  it  is  important  to  remember  that 
it  is  materially  raised  by  the  inclusion  of  six  poems  which 
range  from  95  to  458  lines  each.  By  omitting  these  from 
the  calculation  the  average  would  drop  to  about  20  lines, 
so  that  a  poem  of  24  lines  may  be  taken  as  above  the 
average  of  present-day  popularity  in  length  and  a  good 
poem  of  1 6  lines,  or  less,  has  an  even  greater  chance  of 
being  accepted. 

AVERAGE  LENGTH  OF  305  MAGAZINE  POEMS 


Name  of  Magazine 

Issues 
Examined 

Number 
of  Poems 

Average 
Length 

ARGOSY  

7 

13 

18 

ATLANTIC  MONTHLY  
BOOKMAN  

3 

2 

6 

4 

32 
18 

CANADA  MONTHLY!  

3 

I 

8 

MAGAZINE   POETRY 


121 


Name  of  Magazine 

Issues 
Examined 

Number 
of  Poems 

Average 
Length 

CENTURY 

•3 

20 

24 

CHRISTIAN  ENDEAVOR 
WORLD     

7, 

7 

20 

COLLIER'sf                       ... 

-2 

I 

20 

COSMOPOLITAN        

•2 

7 

7,1 

DELINEATOR.  )  
DELINEATOR*  )  . 

3 

4 
I 

12 

2^8 

DESIGNER! 

2 

I 

IO 

EVERYBODY'S 

-2 

6 

16 

GOOD  HOUSEKEEPING.  .  .  . 
HARPER'S  .        

3 

•2 

7 

12 

44 

12 

HEARST'S 

•2 

7 

^8 

INDEPENDENT 

-2. 

2 

30 

LADIES'  HOME  JOURNAL  ) 
LADIES'  HOME  JOURNAL*  ) 

McCLURE's 

3 

7, 

14 
I 

e 

28 
176 
20 

MOTHER'S 

7, 

7 

20 

MUNSEY'S 

7. 

^7 

16 

NORTH  AM.  REVIEW  
OUTING 

3 
7. 

2 
7. 

55 
7 

OuTLOOKf 

T. 

I 

0$ 

OVERLAND  ) 

•2, 

27. 

2O 

OVERLAND*  ) 

I 

4=58 

PHYSICAL  CULTURE!  
PICTORIAL  REVIEW  
ST.  NICHOLAS 

3 

3 
T, 

I 

6 

17 

30 
16 
40 

SATURDAY  EVENING  POST! 
SCRIBNER'S 

3 

-2, 

I 
1C 

350 

20 

SMART  SET 

? 

77, 

1C 

SNAPPY  STORIES  

•2. 

25 

14 

SOUTHERN  WOMAN'S  

3 

23 

2O 

122 


WRITING  FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 


Name  of  Magazine 

Issues 
Examined 

Number 
of  Poems 

Average 
Length 

SYSTEM! 

2 

I 

6 

THEATRE!          

I 

AO 

WOMAN'S  HOME 
COMPANION!  

2 

I 

•2Q 

O^ 

*  There  is  one  poem  in  this  group  of  three  issues  that  is  too 
exceptional  in  length  to  be  considered  in  the  average  for  this 
magazine;  but  that  poem  is  included  in  the  grand  average. 

t  Only  one  issue  examined  contained  poetry.  All  that  may  be 
safely  inferred  from  this  fact  is  that  little  poetry  is  used  by  this 
periodical,  for  other  issues  might  show  a  larger  number. 


Editors  feel  that  most  poems  would  profit  by  compres- 
sion. Narrative  poetry,  to  be  sure,  carries  its  own  justifica- 
tion for  length,  but  in  this  sort  writers  show  a  decided 
tendency  to  drag  in  the  irrelevant.  It  is  quite  aside  from 
the  purpose  of  this  chapter  to  discuss  the  effects  of  edito- 
rial demands  on  poetic  inspiration;  it  is  enough  to  note 
that  only  when  the  poet's  theme  is  "big"  enough  to 
command  interest,  and  his  mastery  of  his  art  sufficiently 
advanced  to  make  every  line  stand  out  with  beauty  or 
power,  can  he  justly  assume  to  fill  two  or  more  pages  in  a 
magazine. 

2.  Form 

The  first  essential  of  form  is  to  compress  much  into  few 
lines — to  send  the  mind  of  the  reader  sweeping  out  on 
precisely  the  course  the  poet  wills,  thinking  and  visioning 
the  thoughts  he  has  swiftly  yet  perfectly  suggested.  For 
this  kind  of  poem  there  is  room  in  hundreds  of  periodicals. 


MAGAZINE   POETRY  123 

If  the  writer  could  only  conceive  and  produce  them  he 
could  sell  one  a  day  and  two  on  holidays. 

Take  this  specimen  from  the  pen  of  Edwin  Markham, 
study  its  wonderful  suggestive  power,  and  see  why  it 
would  be  preferred  to  longer  verse. 

OUTWITTED1 

He  drew  a  circle  that  shut  me  out- 
Heretic,  rebel,  a  thing  to  flout. 
But  Love  and  I  had  the  wit  to  win: 
We  drew  a  circle  that  took  him  in! 

Another  mark  of  current  magazine  poetry  is  smoothness 
of  form.  There  are  few  over-run  lines,  few  rough  quantities, 
excellent  use  of  metrical  variety,  smooth  metre  and  good 
rhyming. 

Still  another  characteristic  is  the  deft  management  of 
words.  There  are  few  archaisms,  few  words  of  classical 
allusion,  and  very  little  awkward  inversion — in  short, 
comparative  simplicity  of  language. 

5.  Theme 

Theme  offers  an  illuminating  subject  for  examination  in 
magazine  poetry  of  today.  The  preferences  of  each 
magazine  must  of  course  be  considered  by  each  writer  as 
he  submits  material,  but  the  following  table,  based  on  a 
study  of  the  same  poems  referred  to  on  page  120,  will 
show  what  was  current  in  the  early  part  of  1916. 

1  From  "  The  Shoes  of  Happiness, "  by  Edwin  Markham.  Copy- 
right, 1916,  by  Doubleday,  Page  &  Co.  Used  by  the  courteous 
permission  of  the  publishers  and  the  author. 


124  WRITING  FOR   THE  MAGAZINES 

THEMES  OF  305  MAGAZINE  POEMS 

Love 66 

Nature 51 

Idealism  or  Aspiration 49 

Jest 46 

Child  Life 21 

War 15 

Reminiscence 10 

Christmas 9 

Friendship 7 

Patriotism 5 

Sorrow  and  Death 5 

Human  Sympathy 4 

Composite 3 

Reflection  and  Revery 3 

Animals 2 

Disappointment  and  Discontent 2 

Persons  (Shakespeare) i 

Hate i 

Ambition i 

Legendary i 

Business i 

Happiness i 

Motherhood i 

Various  inferences  may  be  drawn  from  the  foregoing 
table.  The  two  most  obvious  ones  are  plainly  contradic- 
tory: Since  over  seventy-five  per  cent,  of  the  305  poems 
considered  are  on  idealistic  themes,  or  deal  with  nature,  or 
with  love,  or  with  jest  (light  verse),  or  with  childhood — 


MAGAZINE  POETRY  125 

five  general  themes — we  ought  to  follow  these  leads;  or  it 
may  be  inferred  that  since  so  many  writers  are  choosing 
these  five  themes,  we  ought  to  avoid  them  so  as  to  get 
away  from  the  herd. 

But  why  accept  either  ready-made  conclusion  instead  of 
looking  beneath  the  surface?  Some  suggestive  questions, 
which  anyone  may  try  to  answer  for  himself,  may  throw 
light  on  this  matter  of  theme. 

Do  editors  accept  so  many  love  poems,  for  example, 
because  they  judge  the  people  want  them,  or  for  the  reason 
that  so  large  a  number  of  writers  produce  that  sort?  Can 
a  poet  choose  his  own  themes  as  deliberately  as  a  general 
writer  selects  his  subjects  for  articles,  or  do  poem-themes 
choose  themselves?  Can  the  maker  of  verses  induce  inspi- 
ration to  write  certain  kinds  of  poems  by  directing  his 
attention  toward  and  thinking  deeply — emotionally — 
upon  such  themes?  Do  not  the  more  distinguished  maga- 
zines print  poems  on  the  less  hackneyed  themes? 

Merely  to  say  that  about  seventeen  per  cent,  of  the 
listed  poems  have  nature-subjects  for  their  themes  might 
prove  misleading  to  surface-thinkers.  Just  as  with  other 
themes,  it  is  the  unusual  phase  of  nature  that  stands  out 
in  good  poetry.  And  I  use  the  word  " phase"  deliberately. 
Young  poets  who  deal  with  generalities  instead  of  particu- 
larities do  not  get  into  print.  " Unusual,"  too,  needs 
emphasis,  for  the  commonplace  treatment  of  an  unusual 
theme  is  deadly  dull,  while  the  unusual  handling  of  the 
most  commonplace  subject  is  pretty  sure  to  win  a  hearing. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  how  some  of  these  themes  are 
distributed  among  the  several  magazines  examined.  Since 


126  WRITING   FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

the  list  is  quite  an  arbitrary  one  and  might  well  have 
included  periodicals  which  for  one  reason  or  another  were 
not  available  at  the  time,  and  also  because  no  more  than 
three  copies  of  any  one  magazine  were  studied — though 
more  were  examined — the  conclusions  must  be  taken,  of 
course,  as  being  indicative  rather  than  final. 

One  third  of  the  whole  number  of  examples  of  light 
verse  were  found  in  two  issues  of  Munsey's.  As  the  table 
shows,  Life,  Puck,  and  Judge  were  not  examined — light 
verse  as  a  type  comes  in  for  separate  treatment  in  the 
next  chapter.  The  light  verse  of  Munsey's,  however,  is 
not  as  nonsensical  as  that  of  the  funny  magazines  and 
therefore  is  included  in  this  study. 

Other  facts  are  interesting,  though  they  prove  nothing 
conclusively.  For  instance,  the  only  poem  found  in 
examining  three  numbers  of  The  Outlook  was  one  of  nearly 
one  hundred  lines  on  war.  The  other  fourteen  poems  on 
war  were  distributed  among  ten  magazines.  The  only 
periodicals  using  two  or  more  were  Southern  Woman's  (3), 
Everybody's  (2)  and  Independent  (2).  The  only  poem  on 
hate  appeared  in  The  Century,  and  three  of  the  five  poems 
dealing  with  sorrow  and  death  appeared  in  one  issue  of 
that  periodical. 

Taking  only  this  study  of  305  poems  as  a  basis,  the  nine 
largest  users  of  verse  are:  Munsey's,  37;  Smart  Set,  33; 
Snappy  Stories,  25;  Overland,  24;  Southern  Woman's 
Magazine,  23;  Century,  20;  St.  Nicholas,  17;  Scribner's, 
15;  Ladies'  Home  Journal,  14;  Argosy,  13;  Harper's,  12. 
These  conclusions  will  be  found  to  be  typical.  So  will  the 
following:  The  sixty-six  poems  on  love  were  confined  to 


MAGAZINE   POETRY  127 

Smart  Set,  16;  Snappy  Stories,  13;  Munsey's,  9;  Overland, 
6;  Argosy,  5;  Southern  Woman's,  4;  Harper's,  3;  Ladies' 
Home  Journal,  3;  Century,  2;  Mother's,  2;  Designer,  i; 
Atlantic,  i;  and  Bookman,  i. 

4.  Tone 

By  far  the  great  majority  of  poems  in  our  periodicals 
are  lyrical.  This  is  largely  accounted  for  by  the  joint 
facts  that  our  first  tendency  is  to  express  an  emotion  in 
terms  of  personal  feeling,  and  that  we  are  more  deeply 
moved  when  reading  a  personal  expression  than  when  it 
is  put  in  the  abstract.  Even  the  sonnet  and  other  artificial 
forms  are  used  for  lyrical  expression. 

Narrative  poems  and  didactic  poems  are  very  rarely 
found  in  our  magazines;  and  when  they  are,  the  narration 
is  short,  simple,  and  direct,  with  merely  a  touch  of  the 
didactic  conveyed  by  suggestion  and  not  explicitly.  These 
conditions  are  doubtless  due  not  only  to  the  limitations 
set  by  the  magazines  but  also  to  an  improved  public  taste 
in  poetry  that  contemns  dwelling  upon  the  obvious. 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  VERSIFIERS 

Do  not  try  to  write  poetry  by  means  of  thought  alone — 
poetry  is  chiefly  an  emotional  expression. 

Write  on  what  interests  you,  and  direct  your  interest 
toward  as  many  things  as  you  can. 

Write  on  things  that  come  home  to  the  hearts  of  the 
people. 

Tenderness  is  better  than  sharpness;  leave  the  bitter 
themes  to  someone  else. 


128  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

Drill  in  all  kinds  of  verse-writing  gives  ease  in  expression. 

Master  the  meaning  and  the  uses  of  tone-color. 

Practice  all  varieties  of  feet,  lines,  and  stanzas,  suiting 
the  form  to  the  feeling.  When  you  use  an  irregularity  do 
it  intentionally,  to  gain  a  certain  desirable  effect. 

Use  few  if  any  unrhymed  lines — never  use  vers  libre 
because  you  find  it  difficult  to  write  good  meter  and 
rhyme.1 

Use  few  over-run  lines. 

Don't  sacrifice  everything  to  form. 

Keep  within  the  editor's  favorite  length  limits. 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Select  from  a  magazine  any  form  of  verse  you  wish 
and  analyze  it  critically. 

2.  Suggest  any  betterments  you  can,  and  show  why 
you  have  made  the  change. 

3.  Set  down  a  theme  for  an  original  poem. 

4.  What  effect  do  you  wish  to  produce? 

5.  After  considering  various  metres,  select  the  one  you 
think  best  suited  to  the  thought  and  feeling  of  your  theme. 

6.  Write  the  first  rough  draft. 

7.  Can  you  condense  your  set  of  verses  into  fewer 
stanzas?  Into  one?  Don't,  if  you  are  sure  it  will  injure  the 
expression. 

8.  Revise  it,  showing  why  you  made  the  changes. 

9.  To  what  magazines  might  your  verses  be  sent? 

1  The  Art  of  Versification  contains  in  its  new  edition  a  chapter 
on  vers  libre. 


CHAPTER  X 


LIGHT  VERSE 

Light  verse1  offers  a  wider  range  of  form  than  does  real 
poetry,  for  the  parodist  may  imitate  every  form  known  to 
the  poets,  and  the  whimsical  rhymster  will  invent  new 
conceits  every  day. 

i.     Vers  de  Societe 

For  this  broadest  and  highest-grade  group  of  light  verse 
it  is  difficult  to  find  a  precise  English  equivalent.  Vers  de 
societe  is  not  merely  "society  verse,"  as  a  literal  translation 
would  suggest,  but  short,  light,  sentimental  or  playful  verse 
of  no  profound  poetic  quality,  and  breathing  an  air  of  polite 
knowledge  of  the  world. 

In  form  vers  de  societe  enjoys  wide  latitude,  though  the 
French  meters  are  favorites  with  most  of  the  poets. 
Thackeray's  "The  Ballad  of  Bouillabaisse,"  Alfred 
Austin's  "At  the  Lattice,"  and  Longfellow's  "Beware," 
are  among  the  most  famous  specimens  in  the  language. 
Here  is  a  representative  example  from  Lippincott' s — no 
longer  published. 

1  This  chapter  is  largely  a  very  compact  condensation  of  the 
chapter  (covering  sixty-seven  pages)  on  "Light  Verse"  in  The 
Art  of  Versification,  by  J.  Berg  Esenwein  and  Mary  Eleanor 
Roberts,  in  "The  Writer's  Library."  The  verses,  quoted  from 
that  volume,  are  fully  protected  by  the  original  copyright,  by 
that  of  The  Art  of  Versification,  and  by  the  present  copy- 
right. 


130  WRITING  FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 

MY  CHAPERON 
By  Anne  Warrington  Witherup 

No  Dragon  is  my  chaperon; 

She's  full  of  life  and  charm 
She  has  a  method  all  her  own 

To  hold  me  safe  from  harm 
It  is  a  method  very  wise, 

Though  simple  as  can  be: 
When  men  come  by  she  makes  such  eyes 

They  never  look  at  me. 

2.    Satirical  Verse 

Satire  is  a  form  of  wit  that  exposes  pretension  and  makes 
it  ridiculous.  Its  object,  like  that  of  true  comedy,  is  to 
instruct  by  showing  the  folly  of  imprudent  courses,  but 
that  purpose  is  often  lost  sight  of  today. 

Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  dealt  out  wholesome  satire  to 
the  all-bumptious  when  he  wrote  this  stanza  in  "  A  Familiar 
Letter  to  Several  Correspondents:" 

But  remember,  O  dealer  in  phrases  sonorous, 

So  daintily  chosen,  so  tunefully  matched, 
Though  you  soar  with  the  wings  of  the  cherubim  o'er  us, 

The  ovum  was  human  from  which  you  were  hatched. 

.    Humorous  Verse 


The  types  of  light  verse  often  overlap,  and  this  is  most 
true  of  humorous  lines  —  a  statement  too  obvious  to  need 
proof.  We  shall  find  humor  in  parody,  nonsense  rhymes, 
and  whimsical  verse,  just  as  we  find  it  delicately  present  in 
much  vers  de  societe. 


LIGHT   VERSE  13! 

(a)  Punning  Verse 

NOMENCLATURE1 
By  Karl  von  Kraft 

When  Bossey  invented  a  gentleman  calf 

They  called  him  Monseigneur  Boule*. 
Next  spring  when  a  lady  calf  dawned  on  the  scene 

They  christened  her  Calfy  au  Lait. 

(b)  Humor  of  Situation 

THE  VOICE  OF  THE  EAST  TO  THE  VOICE  OF 
THE  WEST1 

By  McLandburg  Wilson 

A  most  appreciative  cuss, 
The  Sun  gets  up  to  look  at  us, 
But  when  he  strikes  the  West  instead 
He  gets  so  bored  he  goes  to  bed. 

THE  VOICE  OF  THE  WEST  TO  THE  VOICE  OF 
THE  EAST l 

By  Robert  Thomas  Hardy 

'Tis  true  that  in  the  East  the  Sun 

Doth  rise,  and  yet  'tis  evident 
He  likes  it  not,  but  hastens  West 

And  settles  down  in  sweet  content ! 

(c)  Dialect  Humor 

WHERE  THE  FUN  COMES  IN  * 
By  John  Kendrick  Bangs 

To  hev  all  things,  ain't  suited  to  my  mind, 
Per,  as  I  go  my  way,  I  seem  to  find 
That  half  the  fun  o'  life  is  wantin'  things, 
An'  t'  other  half  is  gettin'  'em,  by  Jings! 
1  From  Lippincotfs,  by  permission. 


132  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

4.    Parody  and  Travesty 

Parody  is  mimicry,  not  serious  imitation.  It  has  for  its 
object  either  the  casting  of  more  or  less  good-natured 
ridicule  on  the  original,  or  merely  the  convenient  use  of  a 
well-known  poem,  usually  in  jest — though  light  verse  may 
be  parodied  in  serious  verses.  Parody  becomes  travesty  or 
burlesque  when  carried  to  the  extreme  of  the  ridiculous — 
though  burlesque  and  extravaganza  need  not  parody  a 
specific  original,  but  may  poke  extravagant  fun  at  a  general 
type. 

(a)  Word-Mimicry 

THE  BAT 

By  Lewis  Carroll 

(After  Jane  Taylor) 

Twinkle,  twinkle,  little  bat! 
How  I  wonder  what  you're  at! 
*  *  *  * 

Up  above  the  world  you  fly, 
Like  a  tea-tray  in  the  sky. 

(b)  Form-mimicry 

YE  CLERKE  OF  YE  WETHERE 

(After  Chaucer) 

A  clerke  there  was,  a  puissant  wight  was  hee, 
Who  of  ye  wethere  hadde  ye  maisterie; 
Alway  it  was  his  mirth  and  his  solace — 
To  put  each  seson's  wethere  oute  of  place. 
Whanne  that  Aprille  showres  wer  our  desyre, 
He  gad  us  Julye  sonnes  as  hotte  as  fyre; 
But  sith  ye  summere  togges  we  donned  agayne, 
Eftsoons  ye  wethere  chaunged  to  cold  and  rayne. 


LIGHT  VERSE  133 

Wo  was  the  pilgrimme  who  fared  forth  a-foote, 
Without  any  gyngham  that  him  list  uppe-putte; 
And  gif  no  mackyntosches  eke  had  hee, 
A  parlous  state  that  wight  bef elle — pardie ! 
We  wist  not  gif  it  nexte  ben  colde  or  hotte, 
Cogswounds!  ye  barde  a  grewsome  colde  hath  gotte! 
Certes,  that  clerke's  one  mightie  man  withalle, 
Let  none  don  him  offence,  lest  ille  befalle. 

— Anonymous. 

(c)  Sense-rendering 

One  stanza  only  is  given  from : 

ODE  ON  A  JAR  OF  PICKLES 

(After  Keats) 
By  Bayard  Taylor 

A  sweet,  acidulous,  down-reaching  thrill 

Pervades  my  sense.     I  seem  to  see  or  hear 
The  lushy  garden-grounds  of  Greenwich  Hill 

In  autumn,  where  the  crispy  leaves  are  sere; 
And  odors  haunt  me  of  remotest  spice 

From  the  Levant  or  musky- aired  Cathay, 
Or  the  saffron-fields  of  Jericho, 

Where  everything  is  nice. 
The  more  I  sniff,  the  more  I  swoon  away, 

And  what  else  mortal  palate  craves,  forego. 

(d)  Semi-Parody 

A  REAL  SUMMER  GIRL1 

(After  Whittier) 
By  J.  G.  Neumarker 

Maud  Muller  on  a  summer's  day 
Raked  the  meadow  sweet  with  hay. 
You'd  hardly  expect  a  girl,  you  know, 
In  summer  time  to  be  shovelling  snow. 

1  From  Lippincott's,  by  permission. 


134  WRITING  FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

5.  Nonsense  Verse 

This  type  of  light  verse  conveys  merely  nonsensical 
ideas.  The  result  is  sometimes  brought  about  by  such 
ingenious  verbal  inventions  as  have  endeared  Lewis 
Carroll  and  Edward  Lear  to  millions.  Who  has  not  felt 
with  conviction  that  "a  runcible  hat"  was  really  worn  by 
the  charming  writer  who  conceived  the  term!  And  who 
has  not  longed  to  know  the  joys  of  a  "frabjous  day!" 
These  meaningless  words  must  somewhere  be  real  lan- 
guage, as  indeed  they  have  been  to  the  old  and  young 
children  of  two  generations. 

Then,  too,  there  is  a  rhythmical  appropriateness  about 
each  nonsense-line  by  these  genuine  artists,  and  those 
written  by  some  of  their  imitators,  which  is  the  sign  and 
seal  of  artistry.  Read  "  Jabberwocky"  aloud  and  you  feel 
the  joy  of  its  sound  and  movement.  Then  try  to  substi- 
tute either  dictionary  words  or  concoctions  of  your  own, 
and  note  the  loss. 

On  many  accounts  it  will  pay  all  poets  and  rhymesters — 
if  any  there  be  so  unfortunate  as  not  to  know  these  delights 
— to  study  the  verses  in  "Alice  in  Wonderland"  and 
"Through  a  Looking  Glass,"  by  Lewis  Carroll  (Charles 
L.  Dodgson),  the  collected  "Nonsense  Books"  by  Edward 
Lear,  the  "Bab  Ballads"  by  W.  S.  Gilbert— whose  work 
with  Sir  Arthur  Sullivan  in  their  light  operas  has  made  the 
world  their  debtor — and  "A  Nonsense  Anthology,"  by 
Carolyn  Wells,  with  its  charming  introductory  essay. 


LIGHT  VERSE  135 

JABBERWOCKY 
By  Lewis  Carroll 

'Twas  brillig,  and  the  slithy  toves 

Did  gyre  and  gimble  in  the  wabe; 
All  mimsy  were  the  borogoves, 

And  the  mome  raths  outgrabe. 

"Beware  the  Jabberwock,  my  son! 

The  jaws  that  bite,  the  claws  that  scratch! 
Beware  the  Jubjub  bird,  and  shun 
The  frumious  Bandersnatch ! " 

He  took  his  vorpal  sword  in  hand: 

Long  time  the  manxome  foe  he  sought. 

So  rested  he  by  the  Tumtum  tree, 
And  stood  awhile  in  thought. 

And  as  in  uffish  thought  he  stood, 

The  Jabberwock  with  eyes  of  flame 

Came  whining  through  the  tulgey  wood, 
And  burbled  as  it  came ! 

One,  two!     One,  two!    And  through,  and  through 
The  vorpal  blade  went  snicker-snack! 

He  left  it  dead  and  with  its  head 
He  went  galumphing  back. 

"And  hast  thou  slain  the  Jabberwock? 

Come  to  my  arms,  my  beamish  boy! 
Oh ,  frabjous  day !  Callooh !  callay ! ' ' 

He  chortled  in  his  joy. 

'Twas  brillig,  and  the  slithy  toves 
Did  gyre  and  gimble  in  the  wabe; 

All  mimsy  were  the  borogoves 
And  the  mome  raths  outgrabe. 

There  are  no  invented  words  in  the  following  anonymous 
stanzas  from  Punch,  but  only  impossible  concepts : 


136  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

BALLAD  OF  BEDLAM 

Oh,  lady,  wake !  the  azure  moon 

Is  rippling  in  the  verdant  skies; 
The  owl  is  warbling  his  soft  tune, 

Awaiting  but  thy  snowy  eyes. 
The  joys  of  future  years  are  past, 

To-morrow's  hopes  have  fled  away; 
Still  let  us  love,  and  e'en  at  last 

We  shall  be  happy  yesterday. 

The  early  beam  of  rosy  night 

Drives  of!  the  ebon  morn  afar, 
While  through  the  murmur  of  the  light 

The  huntsman  winds  his  mad  guitar. 
Then,  lady,  wake!  my  brigantine 

Pants,  neighs  and  prances  to  be  free; 
Till  the  creation  I  am  thine, 

To  some  rich  desert  fly  with  me. 

6.  The  Limerick 

This  unique  form  of  stanza  was  developed  by  Edward 
Lear,  who  himself  wrote  more  than  two  hundred — of 
varying  merit — illustrated  by  his  own  grotesque  drawings, 
which  often  supplied  the  humor  lacking  in  the  limericks. 
Since  then  every  rhymester  has  had  his  passion  for  limer- 
icks, and  clever  ones  are  still  popular.  In  form,  they  are 
printed  either  in  four  lines  or  five — usually  five;  four-line 
limericks  contain  an  internal  rhyme  in  the  third  line, 
which  in  the  five-line  limerick  is  divided  so  as  to  make 
lines  three  and  four. 

Here  are  two  examples  by  Lear — one  of  four  and  the 
other  of  five  lines — both  of  which  begin,  as  do  nearly  all 
his  limericks,  with  "There  was  an  old — "  or  "There  was  a 


LIGHT  VERSE  137 

young  —  ."  Naturally,  variety  began  to  grow  difficult 
after  a  time,  so  later  rhymesters  have  been  more  free  and 
thus  have  done  more  to  improve  the  humor  of  the  limerick 
than  did  Mr.  Lear  himself. 

There  was  an  Old  Man  with  a  beard, 

Who  said,  "It  is  just  as  I  feared! 

Two  Owls  and  a  Hen,  four  Larks  and  a  Wren, 

Have  all  built  their  nests  in  my  beard!" 

There  was  an  Old  Man  in  a  tree, 
Who  was  terribly  bored  by  a  bee; 
When  they  said,  "Does  it  buzz?" 
He  replied,  "Yes,  it  does! 
It's  a  regular  brute  of  a  Bee.  " 

Sometimes  the  limerick  is  indented  —  sometimes  it  is 
not. 

A  dentist,  whose  surname  was  Moss, 
Fell  in  love  with  the  charming  Miss  Ross; 
But  he  held  in  abhorrence 
Her  Christian  name,  Florence, 
So  he  called  her  his  Dental  Floss. 

—  CAROLYN  WELLS.1 

There  was  a  tall  Russian  named  Muski  — 

Wumiskiliviskivitchuski  : 

You  may  say  his  name  twice, 

If  you  think  it  sounds  nice, 

But  I  bet  it  will  make  your  voice  husky. 

—  HARRY  A.  RoTHROCK.1 

.  Whimsical  Verse 


Of  this  type  there  are  too  many  varieties  to  give  example 
here  (see  footnote  on  page  129).    It  need  only  be  noted, 

1  From  Lippincotfs,  by  permission. 


138  WRITING   FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 

that  they  take  up  (a)  oddities  of  conception,  such  as  twists 
of  language,  mnemonics,  mosaic  verse,  macaronics, 
archaic  verse,  and  dialect  whimsicalities;  and  (b)  oddities 
of  forniy  such  as  verses  set  in  odd  shapres  (such  as  trees), 
typographical  oddities,  acrostics,  versified  enigmas,  alliter- 
ative conceits,  "letter  verse,"  geographical  whimsies, 
lipograms,  numerical  oddities,  internal  rhymes,  prose 
verse  (like  Walt  Mason's),  alphabetical  stanzas,  mono- 
rhymes,  chain  verse,  palindromes,  tongue  twisters,  equivo- 
cal lines,  echo  verses,  anagrams,  charades  in  verse,  "buried 
names, "  dithyrambs,  and  others. 

8.  General  Observations 

The  markets  for  light  verse  are  very  wide  indeed — much 
wider  than  for  real  poetry.  Not  only  do  the  comic  journals 
and  the  humor  departments  of  magazines  and  newspapers 
use  this  material,  but  vers  de  societe  is  accepted  by  nearly 
all  the  magazines  that  use  any  verse  at  all. 

It  is  easily  possible  to  strain  too  hard  after  odd  effects. 
Either  the  genuinely  pleasing  light-verse  touch,  or  the 
really  humorous  idea  expressed  in  ordinary  metre,  is  much 
more  widely  salable  than  a  far-fetched  idea  expressed  in 
the  most  ingenious  form. 

A  mastery  of  good  form  is  really  an  important  matter 
for  the  writer  of  light  verse,  both  because  the  best  maga- 
zines insist  upon  it  and  for  the  reason  that  it  prepares  one 
for  more  serious  work. 

Mr.  Arthur  Guiterman,  whose  verses  in  Life  and  other 
journals  are  deservedly  liked,  recently  gave  an  interview  to 


LIGHT  VERSE  139 

Joyce  Kilmer  for  the  New  York  Times.  Mr.  Guiterman 
believes  that  the  training  offered  by  writing  much  light 
verse  will  prove  invaluable  to  even  the  genuine  poet. 
When  we  remember  that  most  of  the  great  poets  of  all 
time — among  them  Aristophanes,  Horace,  Shakespeare, 
Milton,  Coleridge,  Burns,  Keats,  Henley,  Mrs.  Browning, 
Holmes,  Taylor,  Longfellow,  and  Emerson — have  written 
delightfully  in  lighter  vein,  we  are  not  surprised  to  find 
those  whose  names  are  less  glorious  frivoling  as  playfully 
as,  in  turn,  their  less  serious  brothers. 
Mr.  Guiterman  says: 

I  suppose  the  best  thing  for  the  young  poet  to  do  would  be  to 
write  on  as  many  subjects  as  possible,  including  those  of  intense 
interest  to  himself.  What  interests  him  intensely .  is  sure  to 
interest  others,  and  the  number  of  others  whom  it  interests  will 
depend  on  how  close  he  is  by  nature  to  the  minds  of  his  place 
and  time.  He  should  get  some  sort  of  regular  work  so  that  he 
need  not  depend  at  first  upon  the  sale  of  his  writings.  This  work 
need  not  necessarily  be  literary  in  character,  altho  it  would  be 
advisable  for  him  to  get  employment  in  a  magazine  or  newspaper 
office,  so  that  he  may  get  in  touch  with  the  conditions  governing 
the  sale  of  manuscript. 

He  should  write  on  themes  suggested  by  the  day's  news.  He 
should  write  topical  verse;  if  there  is  a  political  campaign  on  he 
should  write  verse  bearing  upon  that;  if  a  great  catastrophe 
occurs,  he  should  write  about  that,  but  he  must  not  write  on 
these  subjects  in  a  commonplace  manner. 

He  should  send  his  verses  to  the  daily  papers,  for  they  are  the 
publications  most  interested  in  topical  verse.  But  also  he  should 
attempt  to  sell  his  work  to  the  magazines,  which  pay  better 
prices  than  the  newspapers.  If  it  is  in  him  to  do  so,  he  should 
write  humorous  verse,  for  there  is  always  a  good  market  for 
humorous  verse  that  is  worth  printing.  He  should  look  up  the 
publishers  of  holiday-cards,  and  submit  to  them  Christmas, 
Thanksgiving,  and  Easter  verses,  for  which  he  would  receive, 


140  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

probably,  about  $5  apiece.  He  should  write  advertising  verses, 
and  he  should,  perhaps,  make  an  alliance  with  some  artist  with 
whom  he  can  work,  each  supplementing  the  work  of  the  other. 

Please  understand  that  our  hypothetical  poet  must  all  the 
time  be  doing  his  own  work,  writing  the  sort  of  verse  which  he 
specially  desires  to  write.  If  his  pot-boiling  is  honestly  done,  it 
will  help  him  with  his  other  work. 

He  must  study  the  needs  and  limitations  of  the  various  publi- 
cations. He  must  recognize  the  fact  that  just  because  he  has  cer- 
tain powers  it  does  not  follow  that  everything  he  writes  will  be 
desired  by  the  editors.  Marked  ability  and  market  ability  are 
different  propositions. 

There  is  high  precedent  for  this  course.  You  asked  if  I  would 
give  this  advice  to  the  young  Keats.  Why  not,  when  Shakespeare 
himself  followed  the  line  of  action  of  which  I  spoke?  He  began  as 
a  lyric  poet,  a  writer  of  sonnets.  He  wrote  plays  because  he  saw 
that  the  demand  was  for  plays,  and  because  he  wanted  to  make  a 
living  and  more  than  a  living.  But  because  he  was  Shakespeare 
his  plays  are  what  they  are. 

Don't  think  of  yourself  as  a  poet,  and  don't  dress  the  part. 

Don't  classify  yourself  as  a  member  of  any  special  school  or 
group. 

Don't  call  your  quarters  a  garret  or  a  studio. 

Don't  frequent  exclusively  the  company  of  writers. 

Don't  think  of  any  class  of  work  that  you  feel  moved  to  do  as 
either  beneath  you  or  above  you. 

Don't  complain  of  lack  of  appreciation.  (In  the  long  run  no 
really  good  published  work  can  escape  appreciation.) 

Don't  think  you  are  entitled  to  any  special  rights,  privileges, 
and  immunities  as  a  literary  person,  or  have  any  more  reason 
to  consider  your  possible  lack  of  fame  a  grievance  against  the 
world  than  has  any  shipping-clerk  or  traveling  salesman. 

Don't  speak  of  poetic  license  or  believe  that  there  is  any  such 
thing. 

Don't  tolerate  in  your  own  work  any  flaws  in  rhythm,  rime, 
melody,  or  grammar. 

Don't  use  "e'er"  for  "ever"  ,  "o'er"  for  "over,"  "whenas" 
or  "what  time"  for  "when,"  or  any  of  the  "poetical"  common- 
places of  the  past. 


LIGHT  VERSE  141 

Don't  say  "did  go"  for  "went,"  even  if  you  need  an  extra 
syllable. 

Don't  omit  articles  or  prepositions  for  the  sake  of  the  rhythm. 

Don't  have  your  book  published  at  your  expense  by  any  house 
that  makes  a  practice  of  publishing  at  the  author's  expense. 

Don't  write  poems  about  unborn  babies. 

Don't — don't  write  hymns  to  the  Great  God  Pan.  He  is  dead, 
let  him  rest  in  peace ! 

Don't  write  what  everybody  else  is  writing. 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Briefly  discuss  Horace's  line:  "A  comic  subject 
loves  an  humble  verse. " 

2.  Select  a  humorous  poem  of  high  grade  and  point  out 
its  humorous  qualities. 

3.  Do  the  same  for  a  witty  poem. 

NOTE:  Exercises  of  this  sort  may  be  applied  to  other 
forms  indefinitely. 

4.  Discuss  "John  Gilpin's  Ride,"  by  Cowper. 

5.  Compare  the  humorous  verse  of  Carolyn  Wells  with 
that  of  John  Kendrick  Bangs  (see  present-day  magazines). 

6.  Compare  the  humor  of  John  Hay's  poem,  "Little 
Breeches,'*   with  that  of  Bret  Harte's  "Jim,"    or   his 
"Truthful    James"    (sometimes    called    "The    Heathen 
Chinee"). 

7.  Do  the  same  for  any  other  two  well-known  poems 
that  are  generally  classed  as  humorous. 

8.  Select  two  sets  of  verses  that  illustrate  the  difference 
(a)  between  parody  and  extravaganza;   (b)  between  bur- 
lesque and  extravaganza. 


142  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

9.  If  in  light  verse  a  highly  poetic  line  rich  in  imagery 
be  introduced,  will  it  have  a  tendency  to  help  or  to  hurt 
the  verse?  Say  why. 

10.  Write  brief  differentiating  definitions  of  verse  of  the 
following  classifications:     Vers  de  Societe,  Satirical,  Hu- 
morous, Nonsense,  and  Whimsical  Verse. 

11.  Which  seems  to  you  to  be  the  sort  best  worth 
attempting?    Give  reasons. 

12.  If  Vers  de  Societe  appeals  to  you,  write  several  verses 
in  that  style  upon  a  theme  that  you  think  should  prove 
attractive  to  the  leading  magazines. 

13.  (a)    Name  an  example  of  humorous  verse  that 
appeals  to  you;  (b)  try  to  analyze  and  to  capture  the  spirit 
of  its  humor;  (c)  write  a  stanza  or  two  embodying  a  dif- 
ferent thought  but  with  the  same  humorous  turn  or  con- 
struction. 

14.  Write  a  satirical  stanza  ridiculing  some  fashionable 
foible  or  custom  that  seems  to  you  to  be  in  bad  taste. 

15.  Has  satire  often  wrought  reforms? 

16.  Write  a  limerick  upon  the  subject  of  your  desire  to 
write  a  limerick. 

NOTE:  Unlimited  imitations  of  whimsical  forms  may 
be  taken  up  as  additional  assignments. 


CHAPTER  XI 


MAGAZINE  FICTION 

Without  either  an  experimental  or  a  theoretical  knowl- 
edge of  the  technique  of  fiction  it  is  difficult  to  write  it 
successfully.  Fortunately  for  beginners,  both  books  and 
personal  instruction  have  been  provided — the  latter  in 
established  schools,  resident  and  non-resident;  the  former 
of  varying  scope  and  cost.1  The  function  of  this  chapter  is 
not  to  instruct  in  the  difficult  art  of  fiction  writing,  but  to 
present  a  few  important  foundation  facts,  together  with 
some  important  notes  on  current  practice. 

i.  The  Fictional  Sketch 

By  this  term  is  meant  a  literary  impression  or  picture  of 
a  mood,  an  emotion,  a  character,  a  place,  or  a  condition  of 
affairs.  It  does  not  concern  itself  so  much  with  what  is 
being  done  or  will  be  done  as  with  what  is.  It  is,  so  to 
put  it,  a  "still"  photograph  and  not  a  photoplay.  Picture 
an  old  man  standing  sadly  by  a  green  mound  on  a  grass- 
grown,  fragment-strewn  battle  field,  and  you  have  a 
sketch  of  the  simplest  type.  We  need  not  know  names  or 
facts;  the  situation  suggests  enough  to  make  us  feel  the 
poignancy  of  a  loss — perhaps  of  an  old  general,  or  a  com- 
rade of  former  years,  or  a  son. 

1  See,  among  many  other  books,  The  Technique  of  the  Novel, 
Charles  F.  Home;  and  Writing  the  Short-Story,  J.  Berg  Esen- 
wein. 


144  WRITING   FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

Thus  it  is  plain  that  the  writer  succeeds  with  his  sketch 
in  proportion  as  he  is  able  to  call  up  in  our  minds  the 
images  he  himself  has  seen  while  looking,  whether  in 
reality  or  in  fancy,  upon  a  certain  scene.  He  must  first 
see,  then  make  us  see;  feel,  then  make  us  feel. 

The  literary  sketch  is  a  high-class  form,  hence  it  is  rarely 
found  in  any  but  the  best  magazines.  It  is  too  subtle  in 
structure  and  in  appeal  to  be  popular  with  either  sensa- 
tional writers  or  the  herd  of  readers.  Good  examples  of 
sketches  are  found  in  the  short  work  of  John  Galsworthy 
and  Henry  Van  Dyke  in  Century  and  Scribner's. 

In  length,  the  sketch  ranges  from  a  few  hundred  words 
up  to  fifteen  hundred,  but  rarely  more.  When  it  goes 
beyond  two  thousand  the  tendency  will  be  to  divide  it  into 
episodes,  for  attention  flags  when  too  long  bent  on  a  single 
picture  without  essential  change  in  its  elements.  Besides, 
the  average  mind  soon  wearies  of  symbolism — with  which 
the  sketch  often  deals — craving  that  reality  of  which, 
after  all,  the  symbolic  is  but  the  suggestion. 

One  caution  should  be  given  here:  the  subject  of  the 
sketch  had  better  not  be  too  general.  "  Truth  "  as  a  theme 
is  too  vague,  but  childish  truth  confronted  by  a  father's 
roughness  is  specific  and  at  once  evokes  pictures — pictures 
which  suggest  a  result  yet  do  not  turn  the  sketch  into  a 
short-story  by  showing  how  the  situation  works  out. 

2.  The  Tale 

The  real  tale  is  the  simplest  fictional  form  in  point  of 
structure.  Though  longer,  it  is  even  more  simple  than  the 


MAGAZINE   FICTION  145 

anecdote,  for  it  need  not  work  up  to  a  sudden  point.1  The 
tale  is  merely  a  chain  of  incidents,  linked  solely  at  the 
will  of  the  narrator,  beginning  and  stopping  at  some 
convenient  point,  and  not  arranged  so  as  to  develop  a 
plot.  "The  Headless  Horseman,"  from  Irving's  Sketch 
Book,  is  a  good  example. 

There  is  very  little  market  for  the  plotless  tale.  Even 
hunting  and  adventure  stories,  and  incidents  in  the  life  of 
an  interesting  child,  are  now  strung  on  some  plot-thread, 
however  simple,  so  as  to  carry  interest  from  event  to 
event.  This  is  worth  remembering. 

Two  general  deductions  from  the  fiction  of  the  day  seem 
worth  making:  The  less  a  story  leans  on  plot  the  more 
must  it  exhibit  external  action.  A  simple  record  of  inner 
experiences  is  not  suitable  for  the  short  tale.  The  second 
observation  is  similar  in  tone:  The  longer  the  tale,  the 
livelier  must  be  the  movement.  A  little  action  strung  out 
with  many  words  makes  a  hopeless  product. 

3.  The  Short-Story 

It  naturally  follows  from  what  has  been  said  of  the 
sketch  and  the  tale  that  a  short-story  is  not  merely  any 
story  that  is  short.  This  most  highly  organized  of  all  short 
fictional  forms  must  have  a  plot,  and  a  plot  may  be 
defined  as  an  arrangement  of  the  incidents  of  the  story  so 
as  to  show  a  crisis  in  the  affairs  of  the  leading  character  or 

1  All  the>  short  fictional  forms  are  treated  fully,  with  complete 
examples,  in  The  Art  of  Story  Writing,  by  Esenwein  and  Cham- 
bers, "The  Writer's  Library. "  The  types  discussed  are  anecdote, 
ancient  fable,  modern  fable,  ancient  parable,  modern  parable, 
early  tale,  modern  tale,  legend,  sketch,  and  short-story. 


146 


WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 


characters,  together  with  such  a  resolution  of  that  crisis 
as  results  in  either  an  unexpected  return  to  the  original 
status  or  a  definite  change. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  the  widest  possible  latitude 
in  theme,  length,  treatment  and  style  is  found  in  the 
present-day  short-story.  Even  hybrids  are  not  uncommon, 
and  certainly  now  and  then  not  lacking  in  charm,  as  when 
the  sketch  crosses  with  the  true  short-story  form. 

Because  of  this  remarkable  variety  in  matter  and 
manner,  few  valuable  deductions  from  current  practice 
may  be  drawn  in  so  brief  a  discussion  as  this.  But  let  us 
see  how  long  are  the  stories  which  the  magazines  are 
printing  nowadays. 

AVERAGE  LENGTH  OF  829  SHORT-STORIES  IN  120 
ISSUES  OF  FORTY  DIFFERENT  MAGAZINES 


Name  of  Magazine 

Number  of 
Short-Sto- 
ries in  three 
Issues 

Words  in 
the  Long- 
est Story 

Average 
Length 

Short  Stories 

27 

10,000 

7,245 

Hearst's 

16 

10,000 

7,212 

Travel 

i 

7,200 

7,200 

Metropolitan 

10 

10,000 

6,860 

Cosmopolitan 

10 

8,200 

6,600 

Adventure 

26 

9,750 

6,377 

Red  Book 

34 

9,200 

6,100 

Harper's 

23 

8,400 

6,044 

McClure's 

23 

9,100 

6,000 

Scribner's 

14 

7,600 

5,850 

Pictorial  Review 

IS 

8,500 

5,840 

Saturday  Evening  Post 

i? 

9,800 

5,830 

MAGAZINE   FICTION 


147 


Name  of  Magazine 

Number  of 
Short-Sto- 
ries in  three 
Issues 

Words  in 
the  Long- 
est Story 

Average 
Length 

Ainslee's 

13 

8,400 

5,423 

Sunset 

12 

9,200 

5,188 

Argosy 

19 

11,000 

5,105 

Pearson's 

17 

6,900 

4,810 

Atlantic 

8 

9,100 

4,775 

Century 

18 

8,400 

4,750 

Everybody's 

IS 

6,700 

4,653 

Munsey 

19 

9,600 

4,636 

Collier's 

ii 

6,000 

4,5oo 

Delineator 

10 

7,200 

4,450 

All-Story 

IS 

7,Soo 

4,253 

Woman's  Home  Com- 

panion 

21 

6,000 

4,i43 

Young's 

42 

8,500 

4,075 

Outing 

5 

6,200 

4,060 

American 

18 

5,500 

3,800 

St.  Nicholas 

ii 

8,000 

3,786 

Snappy  Stories 

40 

9,300 

3,635 

Good  Housekeeping 

14 

5,000 

3,568 

Designer 

8 

S,000 

3,425 

Christian  Endeavor  World 

13 

5,4oo 

3,100 

Canada  Monthly 

22 

6,000 

3,086 

Mother's 

23 

5,200 

2,895 

Black  Cat 

27 

7,500 

2,842 

Southern  Woman's 

21 

6,300 

2,776 

Smart  Set 

48 

7,900 

2,775 

Bellman 

2 

2,300 

2,150 

Ladies'  Home  Journal 

21 

4,500 

2,136 

Overland 

2O 

3,500 

i,935 

Grand  Average 

4,519 

148  WRITING   FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

Solely  because  young  writers  are  likely  to  take  it  as  a 
warranty  for  indulging  their  weakness  for  length  I  hesitate 
to  say  that  for  several  years  the  movement  has  been 
toward  printing  somewhat  longer  short-stories,  the  present 
average  being,  as  we  have  just  seen,  4,500  words.  If  we 
consider  merely  literary  quality,  this  trend,  within  limits, 
is  a  good  one  because  over-compression  in  fiction  squeezes 
out  atmosphere  and  character  reality,  but  the  very 
desirable  qualities  of  vividness  and  forward  movement  are 
not  well  conduced  by  free  expansion. 

Note,  also,  that  the  average  length  of  stories  accepted 
by  the  magazines  is  only  a  little  more  than  one  half  the 
maximum  length.  This  fact  is  significant,  for  it  points  to 
the  many  stories  that  are  shorter  than  the  average.  Ten 
thousand  words  is  about  the  extreme  limit,  and  then  we 
begin  to  have  the  novellette — with  its  fifteen  thousand  or 
more  words  and  its  more  expanded  plot-movement,  setting 
and  characterization,  and  its  broader  picture  of  life. 

The  question  of  length  has  a  vital  bearing  on  salability. 
So  many  writers  persist  in  sailing  near  the  limit  of  length 
preferred  by  a  given  editor  that  one  need  not  even  refer  to 
those  whose  stories  exceed  the  limit.  It  should  be  enough 
to  point  out  the  folly  of  regarding  oneself  as  the  excep- 
tion. The  truth  is — and  there  can  be  no  gainsaying  the 
fact — that  itls  ten  times  as  hard  to  place  a  long  short-story 
as  a  short  short-story.  Yet  young  writers  blindly  go  on 
writing  stories  of  seven,  eight  and  nine  thousand  words — 
and  even  longer.  Why?  Because  it  is  easier  to  write  long 
stories  than  short  ones;  because  they  fatuously  think  their 
stories  cannot  be  condensed  without  spoiling  them; 


MAGAZINE  FICTION  149 

because  they  have  not  mastered  the  art  of  writing  and  do 
not  know  how  to  compress;  because  they  have  seen  long 
short-stories  published  and  that  proves  to  them  that  their 
stories  are  not  too  long;  because  a  certain  magazine 
announces  that  it  has  no  limit  of  length  and  therefore,  it 
is  reasoned,  they  want  long  stories;  because  they  have 
heard  that  stories  are  paid  for  at  so  much  per  word. 

But  what  is  the  truth?  Editors  strongly  prefer  short 
short-stories.  This  statement  is  based  on  my  own  long 
editorial  experience  and  on  association  with  many  other 
magazine  editors.  Altogether  apart  from  the  fact  that 
the  vast  majority  of  short-stories  published  would  be 
better  told  if  a  quarter  of  their  words  were  edited  out,  an 
editor  wants  short  short-stories  to  balance  the  long  ones 
that  inevitably  come  to  him.  The  physical  limitations  of 
his  magazine  demand  this.  He  never  buys  a  "light 
weight"  long  story,  but  a  slight  short  one  he  may  buy  to 
eke  out  his  table  of  contents.  It  is  quite  safe  to  say  that  the 
clever  writer  who  will  for  five  years  set  himself  or  herself 
the  task  of  doing  vivid  stories  of  from  fifteen  hundred  to 
thirty-five  hundred  words,  and  not  one  word  more,  will 
attain  a  vogue  that  will  permit  of  longer  work  later. 

The  present  average  of  published  short-stories  is  poor 
enough  in  quality.  Editors  fondly  imagine  that  the  public 
likes  pretty  nearly  all  that  it  buys.  The  fact  is,  the  public 
buys  in  the  weary  hope  that  it  is  going  to  find  something 
better  this  time.  Too  many  editors  have  a  very  meagre 
foundation  for  their  own  editorial  judgments.  Some 
editors  form  public  taste — others  are  formed  by  it. 

Mr.  Edward  J.  O'Brien,  writing  in  the  Boston  Trans- 


150  WRITING   FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 

script,  and  later  in  a  book  entitled  "The  Best  Short  Stories 
of  1915,"  gives  the  results  of  his  examination  of  2200 
stories  printed  in  America  during  1915.  In  this  study, 
which  covered  forty-six  periodicals,  he  found  that  "683 

stories  possessed  distinction ;  269  stories  possessed 

high  distinction ;  and  91  stories  were  of  more  or 

less  permanent  literary  value ' '    A  similar  list  is 

promised  year  by  year. 

The  investigator  says  that  this  study  has  made  him 

"lastingly  hopeful  of  our  literary  future.  A  spirit  of  change  is  act- 
ing on  our  literature.  There  is  a  fresh  living  current  in  the  air. 
....  As  the  most  adequate  means  to  my  end,  I  have  taken  each 
short  story  that  I  have  considered  by  itself,  and  examined  it  im- 
partially. I  have  done  my  best  to  surrender  myself  to  the  writer's 
point  of  view,  and  granting  his  choice  of  material  and  interpreta- 
tion of  it  in  terms  of  life,  have  sought  to  test  it  by  the  double 
standard  of  substance  and  form.  Substance  is  something  achieved 
by  the  artist  in  every  act  of  creation,  rather  than  something  already 
present,  and  accordingly  a  fact  or  group  of  facts  in  a  story  only 
obtain  substantial  embodiment  when  the  artist's  power  of  com- 
pelling, imaginative  persuasion  transforms  them  into  a  living 
truth.  The  first  test  of  a  short  story,  therefore,  is  to  discover 
how  compelling  the  writer  makes  his  selected  facts  or  incidents. 
This  test  may  be  called  the  test  of  substance. 

"My  second  test  is  the  test  of  form.  I  endeavor  to  discover 
how  successfully  the  artist  has  shaped  his  substance  into  the  most 
satisfying  form.  The  short  stories  which  I  have  examined  in 
this  study  have  fallen  naturally  into  four  classes,  as  they  did 
before.  The  first  class  survived  no  tests,  and  of  these  stories  I 
bring  no  report.  The  second  class,  indicated  without  asterisk, 
has  passed  either  the  test  of  substance  or  the  test  of  form.  The 
third  class,  indicated  by  one  asterisk,  has  passed  both  the  test 
of  substance  and  the  test  of  form.  The  fourth  class  consists  of 
stories  which  signally  excel,  so  that  they  may  honestly  lay  claim 
to  a  somewhat  permanent  literary  value.  These  I  have  double- 
starred." 


MAGAZINE  FICTION  I$I 

If  Mr.  O'Brien's  judgments  are  sound,  and  if  he  has  not 
been  too  much  influenced  by  literary  reputations,  the 
magazine-buying  public  is  rapidly  growing  no  better,  for 
it  is  interesting  to  note  how  the  following  ratings  of  quality 
are  in  almost  every  instance  in  inverse  ratio  to  circulation. 
This  table  gives  the  percentage  of  distinctive  stories  out 
of  the  whole  number  published  by  the  magazines  which 
attained  an  average  of  15  per  cent  or  higher.  Each  of  the 
lowest  five  in  the  scale  has  a  circulation  of  from  one  to 
two  million  monthly  I 

PERCENTAGE  OF  STORIES  OF  DISTINCTION 

1.  Scribner's  Magazine 71% 

2.  Century  Magazine 60 

3.  Harper's  Magazine 56 

4.  The  Metropolitan 51 

5.  The  Bellman 51 

6.  American  Magazine 42 

7.  Lippincott's  Magazine  and  McBride's  Maga- 

zine   36 

8.  McClure's  Magazine 35 

9.  Illustrated  Sunday  Magazine 32 

10.  Collier's  Weekly 32 

11.  Sunset  Magazine 31 

12.  Every  Week 30 

13.  Everybody's  Magazine 28 

14.  Associated  Sunday  Magazines  (Jan.-May,  ex-     '• 

eluding  stories  in  Every  Week,  q.v.) 24 

15.  Delineator 23 

1 6.  Pictorial  Review. .  .   22 


152  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

17.  Ladies'  Home  Journal 19% 

18.  Saturday  Evening  Post 18 

As  the  table  shows,  Scribner's  Magazine,  in  Mr. 
O'Brien's  opinion,  printed  the  most  consistently  high- 
grade  short  fiction  during  1915,  therefore  a  list  of  the 
stories  chosen  from  this  one  periodical  will  be  interesting 
as  showing  both  a  group  of  titles  and  a  selection  of  authors, 
as  well  as  for  the  stories  themselves. 

SCRIBNER'S  MAGAZINE  STORIES 

\£*Coals  of  Fire,  Mary  Raymond  Shipman  Andrews 
ft-  Brewster  Blood,  Katharine  Holland  Brown 
-^White  Hyacinths,  Mary  Synon 

Arthur  Orton's  Career,  George  Hibbard 
-|*Leda  and  the  Swan,  Katherine  Fullerton  Gerould 
«i*The  Bounty- Jumper,  Mary  Synon 
\*Hathor:  A  Memory,  John  Galsworthy 
/*The  Shunway,  Armistead  C.  Gordon 

The  Border-Land,  Francis  Parsons 
'••Esau's  Daughter,  Mary  Synon 
vJSekhet:  A  Dream,  John  Galsworthy 
/^Baytop,  Armistead  C.  Gordon 
7**Martin's  Hollow,  Katherine  Fullerton  Gerould 
*The  Last  Flash,  Sarah  Barnwell  Elliott 
*Made  in  Germany,  Temple  Bailey 
**The  Water-Hole,  Maxwell  Struthers  Burt 
*r**Miss   Marriott   and   the   Faun,  Katherine    Fullerton 

Gerould 
Educating  the  Binneys,  Olivia  Howard  Dunbar 


MAGAZINE  FICTION  153 

The  Speed  King,  William  Wright 
*Mother  Machree,  James  Brendan  Connolly 
*At  the  End  of  the  Rainbow,  Jennette  Lee 
A  Little  Tragedy  at  Coocoocache,  George  T.  Marsh 
*Her  First  Marrying,  Una  Hunt 
"As  Long  As  Yo's  Single  Dere's  Hope,"  Una  Hunt 
The  Best-Seller,  Gordon  Hall  Gerould 
/*The  King's  Harnt,  Armistead  C.  Gordon 
Harlequin  to  the  Rescue,  Hugh  Johnson 
*A  Pair  of  Lovers,  Elsie  Singmaster 
— *Undesirables,  Mary  Synon 
*The  Nippon  Garden,  John  Seymour  Wood 
The  Antwerp  Road,  Henry  Van  Dyke 
K*The  Medicine  Ship,  James  Brendan  Connolly 
**Jeanne,  the  Maid,  Gordon  Arthur  Smith 
^  The  Very  Lilac  One,  Mary  Raymond  Shipman  Andrews 
**Coming  Home,  Edith  Wharton 

The  Jade,  Abbie  Carter  Goodloe 
$  *The  First-Born,  Katharine  Holland  Brown 

4.  Longer  Magazine  Fiction 

In  a  few  magazines  (a)  the  book-length  novel  is  published 
complete  in  one  issue,  or  in  two  parts.  It  is  obvious  that 
to  meet  the  former  condition  the  novel  must  either  be  a 
short  one  or  be  cut  for  single-magazine  use.  As  to  the 
character  of  the  story,  no  safe  generalizations  can  be 
made  beyond  the  banality  that  such  a  novel  must  be 
"popular"  in  tone. 

An  examination  of  forty  magazines,  covering  at  least 
twelve  months  each,  shows  that  the  average  length  of 


154  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

novels  published  either  in  single  numbers  or  in  two  issues 
is  66,250  thousand  words. 

(b)  The  serial  is  a  form  of  varying  popularity.  Every 
now  and  then  a  magazine  publisher  decides  that  the  public 
does  not  want  continued  stories,  so  he  cuts  them  out  of 
his  program;  still,  they  are  used  by  almost  all  the  fiction- 
printing  magazines. 

A  serial  usually  is  based  on  the  book-length  novel  for 
the  reason  that  the  author  hopes  to  arrange  for  book 
publication  after  serialization,  if,  indeed,  such  an  arrange- 
ment has  not  first  been  made.  This  means  that  the  book- 
length  novel  is  offered  in  large  numbers  to  magazine 
publishers. 

Yet  the  long  novel  is  often  cut  for  serial  use,  though 
when  it  is  so  cut  it  is  not  chiefly  because  it  would  require 
too  many  installments  to  give  the  complete  novel,  but  for 
another  reason,  vital  to  the  interest  of  the  reader:  Each 
installment  of  the  serial  must  come  to  a  climax  of  its  own, 
while  all  the  parts  must  maintain  an  increasing  interest  up 
to  the  grand  climax. 

In  order  to  secure  this  series  of  climaxes,  and  yet  pre- 
serve a  balance  of  length  among  the  several  parts,  the 
editor  may  have  to  make  cuts — with  or  without  the 
author's  help.  Hence  it  is  most  important  for  the  author 
to  plan  his  serial  with  these  part-climaxes  in  mind.  Par- 
ticularly is  this  true  when  we  remember  that  many  serials 
never  come  to  book  publication. 

The  serials  printed  in  thirty-two  magazines — the  inquiry 
covering  twelve  months — averaged,  in  round  numbers, 
55,000  words  in  length.  The  average  number  of  install- 


MAGAZINE  FICTION  155 

ments  required  to  complete  the  serial  publication  of  these 
novels  averaged  slightly  less  than  eight,  and  the  average 
number  of  words  for  each  installment  was  almost  exactly 
10,000. 

That  these  averages  include  a  considerable  variety  of 
magazine  practice  will  appear  from  the  condensed  table 
following.  The  data  has  been  furnished,  in  each  instance, 
by  the  magazine  editors  and,  as  has  been  said,  is  based  on 
the  experience  of  at  least  twelve  months.  It  should  be 
remembered,  however,  that  from  year  to  year  the  policy 
of  a  given  magazine  may  vary,  so  that,  for  example,  the 
periodical  that  for  the  past  year  has  used  no  serials  may 
be  in  the  market  for  continued  stories  next  season,  or  the 
reverse  may  be  the  case.  As  a  rule,  however,  this  table 
will  be  a  safe  guide  to  the  requirements  of  the  more  than 
two  score  magazines  listed.  Before  submitting  long  fiction 
other  than  as  here  called  for,  writers  should  first  satisfy 
themselves  that  the  magazine  has  changed  its  policy. 

Obviously,  the  appended  list  does  not  include  all  the 
serial  and  novelette  markets  in  the  United  States,  hence  it 
will  be  wise  to  be  on  the  lookout  for  all  the  magazines 
and  weekly  newspaper  supplements  which  offer  markets 
for  long  fiction,  especially  the  newer  all-fiction  publica- 
tions. Even  the  specialized  periodicals  now  and  then 
use  serial  stories.  Your  notebook  or  card  index  may 
well  be  used  to  record  such  information  as  it  comes  to 
you.  Thus  many  a  novelette  or  novel  may  find  a  mar- 
ket after  the  better-known  houses  have  refused  your  story. 
New  magazines  are  constantly  appearing — many  destined 
to  die  within  a  twelve-month,  and  a  few  to  live. 


WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 


LONGER  MAGAZINE  FICTION 


NAME  OF 

MAGAZINE 

COMPLETE 
NOVEL- 
ETTES: 

NUMBER 
OF  WORDS 

COMPLETE 

NOVELS: 

NUMBER 
OF  WORDS 

SERIAL  STORIES 

NUMBER 
OF  WORDS 

NUMBER 
OF  IN- 
STALL- 
MENTS 

LENGTH 
OF  IN- 
STALL- 
MENTS 

20,000 
35,000 
25,000 

66,000 

soidod 

60,000 
55,000 

75,000 
60,000 
80,000 
I  40,000 
\  75,000 
f  35,000 
1  50,000 
90,000 
80,000 

3-4 
4 
5 

4-8 

3 

6 
6-10 

7-8 
8-12 
6 
6 
8-9 

10-12 
8-10 

6-8 
10 
6-8 

6 
6-10 
8 
8-9 

19,000 

15,000 
15,000 
f  5,000 
\  7,500 
f  15,000 
\  20,000 
15,000 
5,000 

f  ib'.bbo 

\  15,000 
10,000 

f  8,000 
\  9,000 
8,000 
/  10,000 
(  11,000 

5,500 

f  7,000 
\  8,000 

15,000 
11,000 
8,500 

f  4,000 
1  5,000 
f  5,000 
1  8,000 
8,000 
12,000 
8,500 
10,000 

Ainslee's  

All-Story  
American  

Argosy  

Blue  Book  
Book  News  
Breezy  Stories  

Century  
Cosmopolitan  

12,000 

16,000 

70,000 
100,000 
80,000 
100,000 
f  50,000 
\  60,000 
50,000 
/  100,000 
1  110,000 
60,000 
75,000 
60,000 
80,000 
f  100,000 
\  120,000 
110,000 
50,000 
75,000 
25,000 
30,000 

50,000 

/  65,000 
\  95,000 
f    90,000 
\100.000 

See  note  1 
20,000 
See  note  2 

20,000 

Delineator  

Designer  

Everybody's  

Every  Week  

Good  House-  1 
keeping       /   " 

Harper's  
Hearst's 

Holland's  
Housewife 

Ladies'  Home  \ 

Journal         /  "' 
McClure's  

Metropolitan  
Munsey  

See  note  3 

(20,000 
\23.000 

See  note  4 

f    42,000 
\  122,000 

National  

80,000 
40,000 
See  note  5 
See  note  5 
f    80,000 
\  100.000 
80,000 
100,000 
f  50,000 
\  60,000 

100,000 

7 
5 

3-4 

4 
8 
10-12 

10-12 

11,000 
8,000 

f'26',000 
\25,000 
20,000 
12,000 
f  4,500 
\  5,000 
/    8,000 
\  10,000. 

Outing  
Overland  
Pearson's  . 

Pictorial  Review  
Popular 

f  15,000 
\  25,000 
25,000 

50,000 

Red  Book  

St.  Nicholas.  .. 

See  note  6 

f  25,000 
1  40,000 
30,000 
18,000 
25,000 

Scribner's  

Short  Stories  
Smart  Set  

55,000 

Varies" 
5,000 
10,000 

Smith's  
Southern  Woman's. 
Sunset 

85,000 
30,000 
80,000 

Varies 
6 
8-9 

Young's  
Youth's  Companion 

27,500 

35,000 

10 

3,500 

See  Notes  1-6  on  next  page. 


MAGAZINE   FICTION  157 

NOTE  1.  The  Delineator  occasionally  uses  two-part  stories  of 
from  16,000  to  18,000  words  each. 

NOTE  2.  Everybody's  occasionally  uses  three-  or  four-part  sto- 
ries of  about  40,000  words  in  length. 

NOTE  3.  McClure's  occasionally  uses  two-  or  three-part  sto- 
ries in  installments  of  from  8,000  to  12,000  words  each. 

NOTE  4.  Munsey  will  use  some  serials  and  novelettes  to  vary 
its  program.  The  average  full-length  novel  printed  in  single 
issues  during  1915  was  75,000  words. 

NOTE  5.    Overland  and  Pearson's  rarely  use  serials. 

NOTE  6.  St.  Nicholas  occasionally  uses  short  serials,  or  novel- 
ettes, of  from  15,000  to  20,000  words. 

Though  the  methods  of  the  short-story  artist  rather 
than  those  of  the  novelist  are  invoked  by  the  writer  of  (c) 
the  novelette,  still  it  must  be  regarded  as  a  little  novel,  and 
not  merely  as  a  long  short-story. 

It  differs  from  the  novel  chiefly  in  compression,  speed 
of  movement,  always-lively  treatment,  and  swift  ending. 
By  so  much  as  these  qualities  are  emphasized  does  the 
novelette  lack  the  leisurely,  analytical  manner  of  the 
serious  novel.  It  is  a  moderately  long  action  told  by  short- 
story  methods.  A  beginning  that  sets  us  in  the  midst  of 
the  action,  much  dialogue,  brisk  movement,  and  swift 
contrasts,  are  essential  to  the  successful  novelette. 

In  length,  novelettes  vary  from  the  extreme  of  twelve 
or  fifteen  thousand  words  to  forty  thousand.  From  twenty 
to  thirty  thousand  words  is  a  safe  average,  based  on  present 
usage.  In  style,  they  vary  precisely  as  do  the  magazines 
that  print  them.  Since  Lippincott's  long  ago  began  the 
practice  of  printing  either  a  novel  or  a  novelette  complete 
in  each  issue,  the  market  has  extended  to  its  present  size, 
and  evidently  the  end  is  not  yet. 


158  WRITING  FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

TEN  MAXIMS  FOR  BEGINNERS  IN 
FICTION  WRITING 

The  materials  for  good  stories  are  in  the  life  you  know 
best,  for  the  striking  story  is  generally  an  unusual  outcome 
given  to  a  commonplace  situation. 

Themes  that  are  worn  threadbare,  salacious  situations, 
and  bitterly  partisan  subjects  make  it  difficult  to  find  a 
market. 

A  plot  is  based  on  a  contest  of  wills,  a  clash  of  interests, 
an  obstacle  in  a  course,  some  internal  or  external  struggle, 
which  causes  suspense  and  suggests  an  interesting  outcome. 

Change  the  real-life  story  into  fiction  by  inventing  con- 
ditions and  happenings  that  round  out  the  plot.  Realism 
is  not  mere  fidelity  to  actual  happenings. 

Most  good  plots  will  contain  two  or  three  twists — or 
unexpected  turns.  O.  Henry  is  a  good  model  for  the  twist. 

Avoid  the  use  of  mere  coincidence  and  accident  in 
critical  turns  in  a  plot.  The  fact  that  such  things  happen 
in  real  life  does  not  make  them  convincing  in  fiction. 

Characters,  surroundings  and  actions  are  three  great 
kinds  of  fictional  material.  Each  influences  the  other  in  a 
story.  Plan  out  these  influences  and  inter-influences 
clearly  before  you  write  so  that  you  may  be  working 
toward  a  definite  end. 

Don't  open  with  long  explanations.  Instead  of  begin- 
ning in  the  past  and  laboriously  bringing  things  down  to 
date,  jump  into  the  middle  of  the  action  as  Kipling  did  in 
Without  Benefit  of  Clergy:  "But  suppose  it  is  a  girl." 

Use  dialogue  not  only  to  show  your  characters  as  in- 
teresting talkers  but  to  tell  the  reader  what  he  must  know 


MAGAZINE   FICTION  159 

in  order  to  understand  the  story.  Conceive  of  your  char- 
acters as  being  on  the  stage  and  talking  for  the  enlighten- 
ment of  the  audience. 

End  when  interest  is  at  its  height.  Long-drawn-out 
falling  actions  have  killed  countless  good  stories.  Resist 
the  desire  to  explain  or  picture  what  the  reader  may  be 
made  to  surmise  or  picture  for  himself. 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Select  a  piece  of  magazine  fiction  and  criticise  it 
according  to  the  foregoing  "Ten  Maxims,"  and  the  "Points 
for  Self-Criticism,"  Appendix  B. 

2.  State  the  plot  in  about  two  hundred  words. 

3.  What  is  the  struggle,  and  what  is  the  crisis? 

4.  Point  out  any  twists  in  the  course  of  the  plot. 

5.  Outline  an  original  short-story  plot  in  not  more  than 
three  hundred  words. 

6.  Outline  the  setting — that  is,  the  visible  surround- 
ings, like  those  of  a  stage  scene. 

7.  Briefly  describe  the  two  leading  characters.    Don't 
have  too  many  people  in  your  story. 

8.  Write  the  introduction. 

9.  Write  the  whole  story  rapidly. 

10.  Polish  it  carefully — as  often  as  if  your  ultimate 
success  depended  on  this  one  story.  Indeed,  this  may  be 
the  case. 


CHAPTER  XII 

PLAYS 

Until  lately  the  printed  play  has  been  an  almost  negligi- 
ble quantity  in  the  magazines,  yet  now  a  fair  number  of 
periodicals  use  them  at  intervals,  and  in  a  few  magazines 
they  are  found  with  considerable  regularity.  However, 
it  could  serve  no  good  purpose  to  give  here  a  list  of  maga- 
zines which  accept  plays,  because  editorial  policies  change 
so  unexpectedly.  Play  writers — not  to  say  playwrights — 
should  be  on  the  alert  for  magazine  openings  both  old  and 
new,  for  the  printed  play  seems  destined  to  add  to  its 
present  growing  popularity.  Every  first-class  book  shop 
now  displays  five  times  the  number  of  volumes  of  plays 
that  it  did  only  a  few  years  ago,  so  the  magazines  are 
quite  sure  to  take  up  this  interesting  form  increasingly. 
The  growth  of  popular  interest  in  the  drama,  as  distin- 
guished from  mere  theatre  going,  is  also  shown  by  the 
popularity  of  such  general  organizations  as  The  Drama 
League,  the  formation  of  countless  local  centers  for  the 
study  of  the  drama  and  the  growing  attention  given  to 
dramatic  literature  by  colleges  and  clubs.  So  many  new 
plays  are  produced  every  year  by  amateurs,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  enormous  rewards  won  by  successful  professional 
production,  that  this  field  for  the  writer  is  becoming  very 
inviting  indeed,  not  alone  for  magazine  publication  but 
for  book  and  stage  as  well. 


PLAYS  l6l 

I.  Kinds  of  Plays  Used  in  the  Magazines 

(a)  The  full-length  play  offers  the  smallest  market,  for 
obvious  reasons.    Physical  Culture  has  been  running  sev- 
eral, in  two  or  three  installments — "The  Doctor's  Di- 
lemma," by  George  Bernard  Shaw,  is  one  recently  used. 
It  is  certain  that  a  new  manuscript  would  have  to  be  un- 
usually brilliant  to  win  magazine  publication  in  competi- 
tion with  a  full-evening  play  already  successfully  produced. 
However  strong  might  be  its  dramatic  qualities,  it  would 
have  to  read  well,  and  this  is  not  true  of  many  plays  that 
have  been  truly  great  successes  on  the  boards.     When 
setting,  lights,  movement,  character-appearance,  "busi- 
ness," and  all  that  appeals  to  the  eye,  are  missing,  or  at 
most  merely  indicated  by  a  few  swift  words,  the  dialogue 
must  be  peculiarly  well  considered  in  order  to  tell  the  play- 
story  and  secure  the  needed  effects. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  spoken  play  is  not  first 
of  all  literary,  nor  in  some  instances  at  all  literary.  We  all 
know  that  Shakespeare  printed  and  Shakespeare  for  the 
stage  are  two  very  different  versions.  The  writer  who  is 
preparing  his  manuscript  for  magazine  or  book  use — and 
this  applies  especially  to  the  full-length  play — must  expect 
to  alter  it  materially  for  stage  use.  In  only  a  few  instances 
— Ibsen  and  Shaw  are  examples — will  the  one  version 
serve  almost  equally  well  for  the  other. 

(b)  Tabloid  versions  of  stage  successes  occasionally  are 
printed  in  the  magazines.    Current  Opinion  furnishes  cases 
in  point.    These,  however,  are  never  offered  by  unknown 


1 62  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

contributors  but  are  prepared  by  special  editorial  arrange- 
ment with  the  owners  of  the  production. 

(c)  Poetic  plays,  such  as  those  by  Mr.  John  Masefield 
and  the  late  Stephen  Phillips,  are  now  and  then  used  by 
the  best  magazines.    Needless  to  say,  these  must  possess 
both  dramatic  value  and  true  poetic  quality.    They  need 
not  be  bound  by  the  conventional  number  of  acts,  and 
though  blank  verse  is  their  usual  form,  any  form  of  line 
is  justifiable  so  long  as  the  lines  have  a  spoken  quality 
(scarcely  possible  when  short  lines  are  constantly  used) 
and  a  dignity  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  theme  and  the 
essential  idea  of  poetry. 

It  must  be  clear  that  a  special  study  of  the  poetic  drama 
is  necessary  for  one  who  would  attempt  it.  Not  many 
have  succeeded  in  this  difficult  province,  and  of  those  whose 
printed  plays  are  widely  read  only  a  very  few  have  been 
able  to  write  good  plays  and  good  poetry  at  the  same 
time.  Robert  Browning  never  wrote  a  poetic  play  suita- 
ble for  general  production — "Pippa  Passes"  is  charming 
poetry  in  dramatic  form,  but  not  good  drama.  It  is, 
however,  possible  to  write  a  good  play  in  good  poetry, 
but  only  if  one  is  both  a  dramatist  and  a  poet.1 

(d)  One-act  plays  offer  a  wider  market  than  any  forms 
thus  far  named.2    Both  on  account  of  the  crisp  brevity  of 

1  For  a  comprehensive  study  of  play  construction  see   The 
Technique  of  Play   Writing,  by  Charlton  Andrews,   published 
uniform  with  this  volume  in  "The  Writer's  Library."     Unless 
one  is  an  expert  dramatist  the  study  of  some  such  work  as  this 
admirably  practical  treatise  is  absolutely  necessary. 

2  For  a  very  full  and  remarkably  helpful  treatment  of  the 
playlet  see  Writing  for  Vaudeville,  by  Brett  Page,  in  "  The  Writer's 
Library."    There  is  also  an  excellent  chapter  on  the  subject  in 
Mr.  Andrews'  The  Technique  of  Play  Writing. 


PLAYS  163 

the  playlet — which  makes  it  bear  the  same  relation  to  the 
full-evening  play  that  the  short-story  sustains  to  the  novel 
— and  because  the  rapid  action  makes  reading  an  agreea- 
ble diversion  for  the  popular  mind,  the  magazines  find 
more  room  for  this  shorter  dramatic  form  than  could  well 
be  given  to  the  longer. 

The  only  practical  counsel  here  to  be  given  is,  be  sure 
that  the  theme  is  essentially  dramatic — that  is  to  say,  of  a 
nature  requiring  that  it  be  shown  in  action;  that  the 
crisis  arising  from  the  essential  struggle  is  of  such  value 
as  to  hold  interest  tense;  and  that  after  the  knot  is  untied 
the  falling  action  comes  swiftly  and  with  full  satisfac- 
tion. To  say  more  would  be  to  attempt  a  treatise  on 
dramatics. 

(e)  Special  dramatic  forms  cover,  of  course,  a  wide 
range  of  types.  Because  they  are  better  suited  to  amateur 
production  than  are  any  of  the  foregoing  forms — with  the 
exception  possibly  of  the  one-act  play — more  magazines 
open  their  pages  to  these  nondescripts.  For  example, 
periodicals  devoted  to  school,  club  and  home  life  often 
print  little  farces,  comediettas,  burlettas,  masques, 
moralities,  charades,  tableaux,  monologues,  sketches, 
church  and  school  entertainments,  and  combinations  of 
these  several  types  which  can  only  be  called  "plays." 
After  magazine  production  such  manuscripts  may  some- 
times be  sold  to  publishers  who  make  a  specialty  of  enter- 
tainment booklets,  such  as  The  Penn  Publishing  Company, 
Philadelphia;  Dick  and  Fitzgerald,  New  York;  E.  S. 
Werner  &  Co.,  New  York;  Samuel  French,  New  York; 
T.  S.  Denison  &  Co.,  Chicago;  and  Walter  A.  Baker, 


1 64  WRITING  FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 

Boston.    Most  of  the  religious  publishers  issue  books  of 
church  and  Sunday-school  entertainments. 

2.  Good  Form  for  Dramatic  Manuscripts 

Either  of  the  usual  forms  for  the  play  manuscript  will 
serve  also  for  the  magazine.  In  the  following  the  names  of 
the  characters  are  typed  in  red,  as  are  the  stage  and 
"business"  directions.  The  dialogue  is  typed  in  black, 
blue  or  purple. 

William 

I'm  sorry  if  my  well-meant  words 
don't  suit  your  taste,  but  I 
thought  you  came  here  for  ad- 
vice . 

Hobson 

(Rising)   I  didnft  come  to  you, 
you  jumped-up  cock-a-hooping — 

Maggie 

Thatfull   do,    father.      My  hus- 
~bandfs    trying  to  help   you. 

Hobson 

(Sits.   Glares  impatiently  for  a 
time,  then  meekly  says:)  Yes, 
Maggie. 

Maggie 

Now,  about  this  accident  of 
yours . 


PLAYS  165 

For  the  stage  copy  the  following  form  also  is  used:  The 
typing  is  all  done  in  the  same  color — black,  blue,  or  purple 
—the  names  of  characters  and  the  stage  directions  being 
underscored  in  red  ink — by  an  ordinary  pen — if  preferred. 

Act    II 

GRAVES .   Burton! 

(Startled  "by  his  tone,  the 
others  turn  and  regard  Graves 
curiously. ) 

BURTON.   Yes,  sir. 
GRAVES.   Where's  Sam? 

BURTON.   He  went  out,  Sir 

GRAVES.   Went  out? 
BURTON.   Y-yes,  Sir.   About  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  ago. 
GRAVES.   Where  to? 
BURTON.   He  didn't  say,  Sir. 
(Graves  turns  away  help- 
lessly.  Burton  listens 
and  then  exits  C. 
Graves  walks  up  and 
down,  wringing  his 
hands . ) 

In  order  to  save  space  most  magazines  print  plays  in  a 
more  condensed  form,  as  in  the  following  extract  from  Cur- 
rent Opinion.  Thus  any  of  the  three  models  given  will  be 


1 66  WRITING   FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

acceptable,  provided  a  single  method  of  arrangement  be 
carefully  adhered  to  throughout,  so  as  to  make  all  clear 
to  the  reader. 

WILLIAM.  I'll  do  this  job,  lass.  Give  and  have.  (Takes 
her  hand.} 

MAGGIE.  What  are  you  doing?  You  leave  my  wedding- 
ring  alone. 

WILLIAM.  (Following  her.}  You've  worn  a  brass  one  long 
enough,  lass. 

MAGGIE.  I'll  wear  that  ring  forever,  Will.  (Will  puts  his 
arm  around  her.} 

WILLIAM.    I  was  for  getting  you  a  proper  one,  Maggie. 

MAGGIE.  I'm  not  preventing  you.  I'll  wear  the  gold  for 
show,  but  this  brass  one  stays  where  you  put  it,  Will,  and  if 
we  get  too  rich  and  proud  we'll  just  sit  down  together  quiet 
and  take  a  long  look  at  it,  so  we'll  not  forget  the  truth  about 
ourselves.  (Enter  Hobson  with  his  hat.}  Ready,  father?  Why, 
you're  looking  better  already. 

HOBSON.  Ay,  Maggie,  when  all's  said,  it's  champion  to 
have  you  about  the  house  again. 

MAGGIE.    That's  right,  Father. 

HOBSON.  (With  a  gleam  of  his  old  spirit.}  Will  Mossop, 
you're  a  made  man  now  I've  taken  you  into  partnership. 
Maggie,  you  come  along  of  me  to  Albert  Prosser.  I  reckon 
I'll  lose  no  time  in  drawing  up  the  deed.  Come  on,  now,  do 
as  I  bid  you;  I'm  master  'ere.  (He  goes  out  on  Maggie's  arm; 
she  looks  back  and  winks  to  Will.} 

WILLIAM.    (Beaming.}    Well,  I  don't  know! 

END. 

5.  Simple  Hints  on  Play  Construction 

A  play  is  a  story,  therefore  consider  your  plot  first  of  all 
as  a  story  to  be  shown  in  action. 


PLAYS  167 

The  theme  should  have  as  broad  an  appeal  as  possible. 
Keep  the  fundamental  interests  of  humanity  always  before 
you. 

The  basis  of  the  plot  must  be  a  struggle,  "a  clash  of 
wills,"  that  is  worth  observing  both  for  its  own  sake  and 
for  the  way  it  is  carried  on. 

Two  prime  elements  are  situation  and  character — each 
must  influence  the  other.  Omit  all  that  does  not  sustain 
this  test. 

There  can  be  no  play  that  does  not  deal  vitally  with 
some  emotion  in  the  characters. 

Have  few  characters,  and  center  interest  in  one  or  two 
of  them.  Let  the  others  serve  to  bring  out  the  central 
figures. 

Unify  the  action  by  having  one  main  line  of  interest  and 
making  everything  contribute  to  that. 

Don't  pre-suppose  too  many  events  prior  to  the  open- 
ing; and  such  as  must  be  pre-supposed,  make  as  clear  as 
possible  without  awkwardly  telling  the  audience.  This 
is  known  as  "the  exposition." 

Keep  the  action  moving  forward  with  enough  speed  to 
maintain  interest.  Don't  stop  and  don't  back-track. 

The  incidents  must  grow  out  of  the  situation  and  not 
simply  be  tacked  on. 

Suspense  is  maintained  by  handling  the  element  of 
danger — moral,  social,  physical.  The  audience  must  be 
made  to  feel  ardently  how  vital  it  is  that  dangers  which 
threaten  must  in  some  way  be  turned  to  the  advantage 
of  the  chief  character,  or  sustained  in  a  noble  way. 

Dialogue  should  contain  few  if  any  long  speeches.  Learn 


l68  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

to  tell  much  by  inference  and  the  use  of  significant 
"business." 

Each  exit  and  entrance  must  have  such  a  bearing  on 
the  action  that  the  audience  will  be  interested  to  know 
what  effect  it  will  have  on  the  outcome. 

The  conclusion  may  well  be  faintly  foreshadowed,  yet 
the  outcome  kept  so  uncertain  that  interest  does  not  wane. 
When  the  outcome  does  come  it  must  satisfy  expectation, 
yet  the  means  of  its  accomplishment  had  better  be  such 
as  to  excite  either  surprise  or  admiration,  or  both. 

If  the  play  has  a  moral  you  need  not  tell  it — it  must  be 
obvious  from  all  that  has  been  said  and  done. 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Choosing  a  single  dramatic  form  that  suits  your 
abilities  and  the  probable  chances  of  a  market,  try  to  find 
an  example  in  a  magazine. 

2.  Analyze  it  by  outlining  the  plot  or  action  and 
briefly  describing  the  characters. 

3.  Suggest  any  betterments  that  occur  to  you. 

4.  Make  a  brief  synopsis  of  the  plot  of  an  original 
piece  of  dramatic  work  for  magazine  use. 

5.  Briefly  describe  the  setting,  characters  and  costumes. 

6.  Write  the  opening  action  in  full,  giving  attention  to 
"business." 

7.  Complete  the  manuscript.    From  twenty  to  thirty 
typewritten  pages  will  be  enough  for  either  a  twenty- 
minute  playlet  or  one  full  act. 


CHAPTER  XIII 


EDITORIAL  WORK 

Some  important  parts  of  magazine  writing — albeit 
unobtrusive  parts  mostly — are  done  in  the  editorial 
offices.  Besides,  there  is  much  else  of  which  the  public 
never  dreams. 

i.     The  Editorial  Staff  and  Its  Duties 

The  editorial  staff  of  many  a  small  and  good  magazine 
consists  of  one  man  or  woman,  or  two  at  most.  The  more 
elaborately  organized  force  has  at  least  seven,  not  counting 
department  editors  and  minor  assistants.  Between  these 
extremes  are  staffs  of  all  sizes,  each  with  its  own  peculiar 
division  of  labor. 

In  editorial  organization  the  magazine  differs  from  the 
newspaper  as  widely  as  the  several  magazines  differ  among 
themselves.  Few  magazines  conform  to  a  type,  in  the 
sense  that  most  newspapers  do,  and  practically  no  men  and 
women  can  be  trained  to  do  a  special  kind  of  editorial 
work  except  by  the  repeated  acts  of  doing  it,  therefore  we 
must  not  expect  to  find  in  any  given  magazine  office  a 
group  of  editors  who  hold  the  same  positions  relatively 
that  they  do  in  other  offices. 

Further,  each  editor  or  sub-editor  is  pretty  sure  to  be 
doing  the  work  for  which  he  or  she  is  best  fitted,  and  so  it 
comes  about  that  the  duties  presently  to  be  outlined  in  a 


1 70  WRITING   FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

formal  way  are  oftener  divided  among  a  smaller  group  of 
assistants  than  committed  to  specific  editors  in  sole  charge 
of  such  departments.  The  lines  cross  and  shift  according 
to  the  magazine  and  the  staff  personnel. 

(a)  The  Editor-in-chief  maintains  the  character  of  the 
magazine  according  to  the  wishes  of  the  owners.  He 
directs  the  work  of  his  assistants,  originates  or  passes 
judgment  on  new  ideas,  keeps  his  finger  on  the  pulse  of  his 
special  public,  makes  arrangements — sometimes  in  per- 
son— with  prominent  or  especially  promising  writers,  tries 
to  get  for  his  magazine  the  work  of  coveted  authors, 
agrees  with  suitable  sub-editors  to  take  up  new  depart- 
ments, supervises  the  work  of  all  department  editors, 
passes  upon  such  manuscript  as  is  brought  to  him  for 
decision  by  his  subordinates,  conducts  a  large  correspond- 
ence, oversees  the  work  of  the  make-up  man,  sees  that  the 
art  editor  is  providing  suitable  covers  and  illustrations, 
writes  an  editorial  page  in  many  cases,  keeps  his  eye  open 
for  new  Kiplings,  watches  rival  magazines,  keeps  friendly 
with  the  proper  people,  and  in  general  sees  that  the  maga- 
zine grows  better  month  by  month  without  spending  too 
much  money  to  get  results! 

For  all  this  work  the  big  magazines  provide  enough 
helpers  to  keep  the  editor  on  his  feet,  though  often  tot- 
tering, but  on  the  smaller  journals  the  amount  of  work  the 
chief  has  to  do  is  literally  appalling. 

But  back  of  what  the  chief  must  do  is  what  he  must  be. 
If  there  is  anything  a  magazine  editor  ought  not  to  know 
I  have  not  heard  of  it,  and  when  there  is  an  obscure  subject 
on  which  either  he  or  a  member  of  his  staff  is  not  posted 


EDITORIAL   WORK  1 71 

fate  at  once  ordains  that  a  manuscript  will  pass  all  his 
manuscript  readers  with  that  particular  point  twisted  into 
a  blunder. 

(b)  The  Managing  Editor  has  the  duties  assigned  him 
by  the  chief.    He  is  a  sort  of  vice-president.    For  a  very 
active  editor  he  will  be  an  alter  ego,  going  where  the  chief 
is  not  able  to  go,  seeing  callers,  doing  executive  work  of  all 
sorts,  and  oftenest  co-ordinating  the  departments  in  such 
a  way  that  results  come  for  the  responsible  editor. 

One  of  the  prime  duties  of  the  managing  editor  in  some 
offices  is  to  plan  the  make-up  of  the  magazine,  or  at  least 
carry  out  the  editor's  wishes  in  this  respect  (see  Make-up 
Editor).  He  must  also  serve  as  a  buffer  between  the  print- 
ing— usually  called  the  manufacturing — department  and 
the  editorial  office,  for  each  department  prefers  to  take  all 
the  time  there  is,  at  the  expense  of  the  other.  The  work  of 
getting  out  a  great  magazine  on  time  is  a  super-human 
task. 

(c)  The  Literary  Editor  is  the  title  given  lately  by  some 
magazines  to  the  chief  of  the  literary  department,  or  the 
head  manuscript  reader.    His  duty  it  is  to  manage  the 
work  of  his  helper  or  helpers  so  as  to  make  reasonably  sure 
that  no  promising  new  writer  escapes  notice  either  in  the 
columns  of  other  periodicals  or  as  a  contributor  to  his  own. 
He  must  bring  to  his  chief — though  in  some  instances  the 
final  decision  really  lies  with  him  as  literary  editor — such 
manuscript  as  ought  to  be  accepted,  or  negotiated  for,  or 
corresponded  about,  or  rejected  only  after  more  than  the 
usual  procedure.    It  is  usually  his  duty  to  make  up  the 
"editors'  sheets,"  which  contain  extracts  from  each  issue 


172  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

of  the  magazine  and  are  sent  out  to  the  newspapers  for 
review  or  advance  notices.  Obviously,  these  duties  may 
be  varied  considerably  according  to  the  staff  organization 
— and  this  applies  to  every  other  position  named.  He  also 
revises  manuscripts  in  such  important  particulars  as 
would  not  be  trusted  to  the  copy  editor  (which  see). 

(d)  The  Assistant  Manuscript  Reader  does  the  work 
indicated  by  his  title.  On  large  magazines  there  are  more 
than  one  to  do  this  exacting  work.  After  each  newly  re- 
ceived manuscript  is  recorded — usually  the  date,  title, 
name  and  address  of  the  author,  and  the  amount  of  postage 
enclosed  are  set  down  and  a  number  is  put  on  the  envelope 
to  show  the  reader  in  what  order  to  take  up  the  manu- 
scripts. Sometimes  a  minor  clerk  attends  to  these  matters 
of  record. 

As  the  reader  goes  over  the  manuscript  of  a  poem,  story 
or  article,  he  has  in  mind,  at  least  subconsciously,  a  number 
of  questions  by  which  each  manuscript  is  brought  to  the 
test,  for  if  the  offering  should  fail  in  one  or  two  vital  points 
it  is  usually  enough  to  condemn  it;  and  of  course  the  one 
ever-present  standard  is:  Does  this  meet  our  present 
needs? 

Questions  like  these  are  in  the  editorial  mind:  Is  this 
manuscript  illiterate?  Is  it  quite  out  of  tune  with  our 
magazine?  Is  it  dull?  Is  it  trite?  Is  it  behind  the  times? 
Is  it  poorly  written?  Does  it  fail  to  do  what  it  sets  out  to? 
Have  we  already  published,  or  have  we  on  hand,  enough 
or  too  much  of  a  similar  sort?  Is  it  quite  too  long?  How 
does  it  compare  with  a  similar  manuscript  we  are  now 
considering?  Is  it  good  enough  to  warrant  further  con- 


EDITORIAL  WORK  173 

sideration?  Is  the  author  promising  enough  to  warrant  our 
watching  him,  writing  to  him,  asking  for  other  material? 

These  and  other  questions,  fitting  the  peculiar  needs  of 
each  magazine,  are  part  of  the  mental  make-up  of  every 
alert  manuscript  editor,  and  in  many  instances  it  does  not 
take  long  to  determine  either  that  a  contribution  is  hope- 
less or  that  it  should  have  further  consideration. 

As  we  all  know,  not  all  hopeless  manuscripts  are  sent 
back  forthwith,  for  now  and  then  the  work  of  the  writer  is 
good  enough  to  warrant  a  letter  from  the  editorial  depart- 
ment; and  of  course  there  are  many  instances  of  manu- 
scripts being  held  for  further  weighing  and  yet  being  found 
unavailable  at  last. 

The  managing  editor,  and  the  literary  editor  with  his 
assistant  readers,  must  more  than  any  other  members  of 
the  staff  possess  one  quality — ability  to  look  at  all  ques- 
tions from  a  double  view-point:  their  own  and  that  of 
their  chief.  "All  in  all,  I  think  he  would  like  this,"  is  a 
constant  judgment  that  assistants  are  forming;  less 
frequently  one  will  decide:  "The  chief  doesn't  like  this 
sort  of  stuff,  but  other  magazines  are  using  it  successfully, 
it's  in  the  air  nowadays,  it's  well  done,  so  I'll  put  it  up  to 
him  with  a  strong  recommendation." 

(e)  The  Art  Editor  is  not  chiefly  a  literary  person,  but 
he  must  deal  even  more  with  words  than  with  pictures. 
Consequently  he  keeps  in  close  touch  with  the  literary 
side  of  his  magazine  and  is  careful  to  secure  not  only 
striking  and  beautiful  pictures  but  such  as  actually  il- 
lustrate the  text.  We  all  know  how  ridiculous  is  the  result 
when  he  fails. 


174  WRITING   FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 

The  decorative  head-  and  tail-pieces,  borders  and  full- 
page  decorations  are  of  course  in  his  charge  also. 

His  work  is  not  done  with  these  duties,  however,  for  he 
must  deal  with  the  engraver  and  the  printer  so  as  to  get  the 
best  results.  He  also  cooperates  with  the  make-up  editor 
in  planning  the  pages  of  the  magazine.  Often  the  duties  of 
art  editor  and  those  of  make-up  editor  are  combined. 

(f)  The  Copy  Editor  on  smaller  magazines  is  usually 
given  charge  of  some  other  work  also,  but  in  any  division 
of  labor  his  duties  as  copy  editor  are  the  same.    He  must 
go  over  all  accepted  manuscript,  prepare  titles  and  sub- 
titles; see  that  the  authors'  names,  titles  and  achievments 
are  correctly  stated,  spelled  and  placed,  mark  the  styles 
of  type  for  all  headings  and  text,  mark  all  spelling,  punc- 
tuation, capitalization,  abbreviation,  and  paragraphing 
which  needs  to  be  altered  according  to  the  office-rules  of 
the  magazine,  watch  for  errors  of  all  sorts  in  the  manu- 
script, and  take  up  with  the  chief  or  some  other  superior 
any  question  that  may  arise  regarding  an  important 
change.    In  general,  he  must  see  that  the  manuscript  goes 
to  the  composing  room  as  absolutely  perfect  "copy." 

(g)  The  Head  Proof  Reader.    Magazines  do  not  depend 
on  the  printing  department  for  all  the  proof  reading,  but 
some  member  of  the  staff — usually  the  copy  editor- 
reads  th   proof.    First  he  reads  it  in  "galleys,"  which  are 
long  strips  of  printed  paper,  called  "galley  proof"  because 
the  proof-impression  has  been  made  on  the  paper  directly 
from  the  long  tray-like  galleys  which  hold  the  type  before 
it  has  been  made  up  into  pages. 


EDITORIAL  WORK  175 

While  the  galley  proofs  are  being  read  the  manuscript 
copy  is  sometimes  read  aloud  by  a  "copy  holder,"  usually 
a  minor  employee.  As  a  rule  this  reading  of  copy  aloud  is 
done  in  the  printing  office  only. 

After  the  type  matter  has  been  put  into  page  form — 
of  which  more  in  a  moment — the  page  proof  is  read  in  the 
editorial  offices,  and  generally  a  final  proof,  or  revise,  is 
also  read.  These  several  readings  are  in  addition  to  the 
proof  readings  given  in  the  printing  department. 

(h)  The  Make-up  Editor  has  a  difficult  task  on  maga- 
zines which  use  illustrations  that  cut  into  the  text,  for  not 
only  must  he  see  that  the  lay-out  for  illustration  and  text 
is  fit  and  harmonious,  but  he  must  often,  just  before  the 
magazine  goes  to  press,  cut  an  article  or  even  a  story  so  as 
to  make  up  the  pages  individually  and  as  a  whole  in  an 
effective  way.  All  this  requires  taste,  magazine  training, 
quickness  and  adaptability.  The  task  of  shortening 
articles  is  not  so  frequent  since  the  advent  of  the  annoying 
custom  of  finishing  an  article  among  the  advertising 
columns. 

On  at  least  one  of  the  largest  American  magazines  the 
managing  editor  is  also  the  head  make-up  man.  On  some 
large  weeklies  a  special  make-up  man  is  employed.  In 
other  organizations  his  duties  cover  the  make-up  work  on 
several  magazines,  while  in  yet  others  the  managing  editor 
depends  largely  on  the  make-up  man  in  the  printing  office. 

(i)  The  Departmental  or  Special  Editor.  The  peculiar 
needs  of  various  magazines  open  a  large  number  of  special 
posts  to  competent  workers. 


176  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

Many  magazines  run  departments  in  charge  of  an  editor 
whose  name  is  "  one  to  conjure  with,"  in  editorial  parlance. 
This  editor  is  rarely  resident  with  the  staff,  but  may  live 
anywhere,  though  it  is  obviously  convenient  to  have  a 
department  editor  who  can  come  to  the  office  for  frequent 
conferences.  Sometimes  only  part  of  the  page  or  depart- 
ment is  done  by  the  editor  whose  portrait  and  name  are  its 
adornment,  the  bulk  of  the  material  being  gathered  by  the 
regular  editorial  staff  or  by  minor  helpers. 

Other  magazines  need  editors  for  special  work  quite 
different  from  any  duties  thus  far  outlined.  Current  event 
periodicals  need  digests  of  the  news  and  other  important 
matters,  clippings  from  journals  suitable  for  comment, 
book  reviews,1  reviews  of  matters  on  which  the  magazine 
specializes,  and  actual  editorials.  Class  magazines  need 
editors  for  the  revising,  rewriting  and  condensing  of  news 
and  information-items,  the  preparation  of  interviews  and 
departmental  material,  and  as  many  different  types  of 
work  as  our  multiform  magazines  make  necessary. 

2.     Qualifications  of  an  Editor 

After  having  outlined  the  duties  of  the  various  members 
of  an  editorial  staff  I  need  not  dwell  on  the  endowments 
and  training  required  to  do  the  work  of  an  editor.  It  is 
literally  impossible  to  set  out  by  preparing  for  only  one  of 
the  lines  of  work  necessary  in  an  editorial  office.  Natural 

1  Since  book  reviewing  is  done  almost  exclusively  by  members 
of  the  staff,  there  are  no  lucrative  openings  in  this  field  for  con- 
tributors. When  a  book  is  sent  to  some  specialist  for  review  a 
small  honorarium  may  be  paid,  but  the  few  quasi  outside  workers 
who  receive  books  usually  get  their  pay  by  retaining  the  book. 


EDITORIAL  WORK  177 

and  acquired  fitness  in  at  least  three  or  four  are  indis- 
pensable, and  gradually  all  or; nearly  all  must  be  mas- 
tered. 

Each  member  of  an  editorial  staff  who  has  any  responsi- 
bility for  the  selecting  of  material  for  publication  must 
know  what  is  good  in  his  own  type  of  literature  and  why 
it  is  good.  He  must  also  know  what  is  popular  and  have 
at  least  a  shrewd  suspicion  of  the  reason.  He  must  be 
familiar  with  what  the  magazines — particularly  those  in 
his  own  line  and  near  it — have  been  doing  for  years, 
what  changes  of  policy  have  taken  place  and  why,  what 
magazines  have  failed  and  why,  what  ones  have  succeeded 
most  largely  and  why,  what  class  of  readers  each  appeals  to, 
and,  in  general,  he  must  understand  the  magazine  business, 
especially  as  it  touches  his  own  kind  of  magazine.  WHY 
is  a  big  word  in  his  vocabulary. 

He  must  realize  that  circulation,  advertising  and  edito- 
rial material  bear  vital  relations  to  each  other,  therefore 
he  must  know  a  great  deal  about  how  circulation  is  gained, 
maintained  and  increased,  and  advertising  likewise.  He 
must  know  the  principles  of  literary  technique  and  be  able 
to  write  good  prose.  He  must  know  all  about  the  prepa- 
ration of  manuscript  for  the  printer,  understand  a  good 
deal  about  type,  composition  and  good  printing,  and  know 
how  to  read  proof  rapidly  yet  accurately.  If  his  magazine 
uses  illustrations  he  must  know  about  methods  of  engrav- 
ing and  the  management  of  inks  and  papers,  for  not  many 
magazines  can  afford  an  art  editor. 

Besides  all  this  is  the  question  of  his  knowledge  of  life 
and  its  myriad  affairs,  and  his  ability  to  turn  his  hand, 


178  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

after  a  little  training,  to  any  one  of  the  positions  just  de- 
scribed which  may  be  combined  with  his  own. 

Now  if  you  add  the  endowments  of  common  sense, 
human  feeling,  patience,  the  sense  of  what  people  like,  and 
the  capacity  for  making  very  few  mistakes  while  despatch- 
ing a  vast  amount  of  work,  you  have  a  pretty  fair  editor 
in  embryo — nothing  but  experience  will  ever  mature  him 
or  her  into  a  really  good  one. 

j.  How  Editorial  Positions  are  A  ttained 

Every  year  are  graduated  from  the  colleges  a  thousand 
and  one  young  men  and  women  who,  because  the  professor 
of  rhetoric  has  praised  their  work,  would  consent,  if  prop- 
erly urged,  to  edit  some  great  magazine.  These  form  the 
first  line  of  "  availables."  Most  of  them  "  would  be  willing 
to  accept  a  position" — that  is  the  formula — as  assistant 
editor.  Two  or  three  would  be  glad  to  get  a  job  as  copy 
holder — and  these  are  more  promising  subjects  for  future 
McClures,  Hapgoods  and  Lorimers  than  the  rest  of  the 
thousand.  This  is  sober  truth. 

Then  comes  the  main  army,  chiefly  spinsters,  who  want 
an  editorial  position  because  they  have  always  been  fond 
of  reading.  These  are  supported  by  a  huge  reserve  of 
wrist-watch  boys  who  would  like  "a  nice  clean  profes- 
sion"— without  being  willing  to  train  to  fill  the  post. 
Finally  we  have  the  camp  followers — failures  in  other 
work  who  know  it  is  easy  to  pick  out  stories  because  their 
friends  have  always  praised  their  literary  judgment. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  editors  are  rarely  chosen  from  appli- 


EDITORIAL  WORK  179 

cants  who  come  fresh  from  college  or  private  life.  To 
begin  with,  there  are  not  nearly  enough  staff  editorial  posi- 
tions to  go  around — perhaps  three  thousand  in  America, 
not  including  the  newspapers.  Here  are  some  of  the  ways 
in  which  these  positions  have  actually  been  reached: 

The  editor  has  filled  a  staff  vacancy  by  appointing  the 
non-resident  editor  of  a  department. 

The  editor's  secretary  has  shown  such  good  judgment, 
and  so  worked  to  master  the  editorial  duties,  that  she  or  he 
has  won  a  staff  appointment. 

A  keen  proof  reader  in  the  printing  department  has  been 
brought  over  into  the  editorial  rooms  to  edit  copy,  and 
climbs  on  up. 

A  college  journalist  who  has  "made  good"  on  his  maga- 
zine or  paper  is  chosen. 

A  stenographer  or  clerk  has  shown  ability  to  do  better 
editorial  work  than  a  member  of  the  staff.  Such  chances 
are  occurring  constantly. 

A  successful  contributor  to  the  magazine  is  taken  on  the 
staff  temporarily  and  makes  a  place  for  himself. 

The  proprietor's  son  or  niece  is  given  a  chance — and 
sometimes  succeeds. 

An  editor  gets  a  higher  position  on  a  rival  magazine  so 
that  the  publisher  may  get  inside  information  of  the 
rival's  methods. 

A  graduate  of  a  school  of  journalism  is  offered  a  small 
opening. 

A  circulation  man  who  is  well  educated  ana  observant 
shows  that  he  knows  what  the  people  want  and  is  given  an 
editorial  position. 


l8o  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

An  advertising  man  gets  the  same  chance. 

A  college  professor,  a  clergyman  or  a  lawyer  who  has 
long  been  doing  odd  bits  of  journalistic  work  wins  a  post. 

An  investor  buys  an  interest  in  a  magazine,  and  with  it 
an  editor's  desk. 

A  newspaper  man  comes  from  that  field. 

The  editor  of  an  obscure  little  magazine — perhaps  an 
amateur  journalist — shows  striking  ability  and  is  chosen. 

A  personal  application  may  be  made  just  at  the  time 
when  an  embarrassing  vacancy  occurs  and  the  applicant 
be  given  a  chance. 

This  list  of  openings  could  be  expanded  indefinitely, 
only  to  show  that  it  is  just  about  hopeless  to  look  for  an 
editorial  position  unless  you  are  willing  to  learn  before  you 
apply  for  the  place.  Millions  are  willing  to  learn — but  at 
the  publisher's  expense.  You  must — either  while  serving 
in  a  clerical  position  or  in  some  work  that  brings  you  into 
close  touch  with  editorial  duties — master  the  details  of 
commercial  literary  criticism,  editorial  conduct,  and  manu- 
script preparation,  all  the  while  that  you  are  building  up 
your  mental  grasp.  Then  you  will  be  justified  in  asking 
for  a  chance. 

The  rewards  of  editorial  work,  sad  to  say,  are  not  large. 
A  few  great  editors  receive  relatively  large  salaries;  per- 
haps fifty  others  are  paid  from  four  to  five  thousand  dol- 
lars a  year,  and  this  includes  the  editors  of  technical  jour- 
nals; a  much  larger  group  draw  fifty  dollars  a  week; 
while  the  rest  trail  down  to  unmentionable  sums. 

However,  the  editor's  life  in  the  main  is  one  of  intel- 
lectual expansion,  brings  association  with  interesting 


EDITORIAL   WORK  l8l 

people,  and  ranks  him  among  professional  folk.  Certainly 
it  is  worth  while  fitting  oneself  thoroughly  for  this  work, 
for  the  knowledge  and  skill  gained  will  always  be  of  prac- 
tical value  in  the  work  of  authorship,  even  if  a  suitable 
editorial  opening  does  not  occur.  It  must  be  remembered, 
however,  that  it  is  not  possible  to  prepare  for  an  editorial 
career  in  anything  like  the  direct  way  in  which  one  gets 
ready  for  medicine  or  the  law.  One  may  indeed  get  into 
line  for  the  work  by  such  preparation  as  I  have  already 
outlined,  and  then  look  out  for  an  opening,  but  there  can 
be  no  certainty  that  the  door  will  open — or  even  that  you 
can  wisely  push  it  open.  Magazine  editorial  work  is  a 
sort  of  post-graduate  career  following  upon  any  one  of  a 
dozen  or  more  allied  callings.  Success  in  one  of  these,  and 
special  preparation  for  the  editor's  tasks,  may  some  day 
swing  a  vacant  swivel  chair  toward  you. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

POINTS  ON  PREPARING  MANUSCRIPT 

If  you  credit  the  word  of  those  who  know,  it  pays 
abundantly  to  offer  only  manuscript  that  is  in  creditable 
form.  A  self-respecting  writer  dresses  his  writings  as 
decently  as  himself.  The  editor  will  accept  your  manu- 
script at  your  own  valuation,  until  a  reading  proves  the 
contrary.  Correlate  these  facts  for  yourself. 

i.    Revising  the  Manuscript 

To  revise  is  to  look  over  again — so  that  the  rested  eye 
may  catch  errors  unseen  at  first;  to  re-weigh  statements; 
to  test  the  value  of  arrangement;  to  seek  for  flaws  of 
word-meaning,  word-arrangement,  sentence-structure, 
sentence-arrangement,  paragraphic  form,  or  paragraphic 
sequence;  to  sit  back  and  get  the  general  effect — in  short, 
to  comb  the  composition,  in  parts  and  as  a  whole,  to  dis- 
cover how  it  may  be  improved. 

The  manuscript  that  is  not  worth  polishing  was  not 
worth  writing.  How  can  I  say  this  with  enough  force  to 
impress  inexperienced  writers!  For  an  editor  who  loves  to 
see  a  good  thing  well  done  it  is  painful  to  see  how  careless 
most  writers  are.  When  you  gently  call  attention  to 
omitted  periods  and  commas,  dashes  used  indiscriminately, 
slovenly  spelling,  indention  of  paragraphs  ignored  or 
crazily  irregular,  type  keys  packed  with  dirt,  wrong 


POINTS   ON   PREPARING   MANUSCRIPT  183 

letters  not  erased,  soiled  paper,  or  any  other  offense  against 
neatness,  they  open  wide  their  eyes  as  though  to  say, 
"Are  editors  silly  enough  to  notice  little  things  like 
that?" 

Yet  for  a  generation  friendly  advisers  have  been  trying 
to  make  it  clear  that  trifles  often  have  a  direct  bearing  on 
the  meaning  of  an  article,  and  they  certainly  do  have  a 
ponderable  part  in  that  general  effect  on  an  editor  which 
subtly  moves  him  for  or  against  acceptance.  It  matters 
not  a  particle  whether  you  believe  this  or  not — it  is  true; 
the  statement  is  based  on  the  experience  of  many  editors. 
Of  course,  this  is  not  to  say  that  an  otherwise  acceptable 
manuscript  will  be  rejected  because  of  minor  errors,  but 
it  is  to  affirm  that  carelessness — for  instance,  in  the  points 
named  in  the  preceding  paragraph — always  weigh  against 
its  approval  and  sometimes  definitely  cast  the  balance 
against  it.  Be  just  to  your  thoughts  and  dress  them  well. 
You  can  teach  yourself  to  revise  your  work  both  in  detail 
and  in  major  points  if  you  are  willing  to  try  honestly.  To 
begin  with,  read  your  "finished"  work  aloud,  so  that  the 
ear  may  detect  mistakes  which  the  eye  has  missed. 

2.     The  Value  of  Typewritten  Manuscript 

Mr  Arthur  T.  Vance,  for  years  editor  of  Woman's  Home 
Companion,  and  now  editor  of  Pictorial  Review,  writes  as 
follows  in  The  Writer's  Monthly: 

"The  average  young  writer  doesn't  seem  to  understand  why 
editors  demand  typewritten  manuscripts,  and  this  applies  not 
only  to  beginners,  but  some  of  the  old-timers  who  ought  to  know 
better. 


184  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

''The  objection  from  the  editorial  point  of  view  to  hand- 
written manuscripts  is  well  taken.  It  is  not  only  because  hand- 
writing is  hard  to  read,  but  because  the  author  doesn't  give  him- 
self a  fair  chance.  This  may  sound  strange,  but  it  is  true,  and 
can  be  explained  on  a  mechanical  basis.  When  you  read  a  type- 
written line,  just  as  when  you  read  a  printed  line,  the  eye  does 
not  stop  to  read  it  letter  by  letter,  or  even  word  by  word.  The 
skilled  reader  takes  in  the  whole  line,  ofttimes  two  or  three  lines, 
at  a  glance.  The  reading  is  made  easy,  and  the  mind  more  readily 
grasps  the  effect  or  the  impression  the  author  is  striving  for.  On 
the  other  hand,  when  you  read  hand-written  manuscripts,  you 
have  to  read  every  word  separately  and  frequently  have  to  spell 
out  the  words  letter  by  letter.  It  is  so  laborious  a  task  that  the 
illusion  is  almost  certain  to  be  lost.  It  is  just  the  same  as  when 
you  studied  Latin  in  school.  Old  Virgil  wrote  some  fine  stories 
— interesting,  inspiring,  thrilling — but  when  you  had  to  translate 
a  word  at  a  time,  it  became  a  bore — a  task — and  you  got  so  you 
hated  the  sight  of  the  book.  You  didn't  appreciate  the  story  of 
it  at  all. 

"I  hope  the  young  writers,  and  the  old  writers,  will  see  my 
point.  I  would  say  offhand,  that  a  manuscript  which  is  type- 
written has  five  times  the  chances  of  being  accepted  and  published 
that  a  hand- written  one  has." 

As  an  aid  to  composition  most  writers  have  found  the 
typewriter  invaluable — a  small  minority  have  not,  and  I 
am  among  this  minority.  Many  advantages  are  claimed 
for  this  method,  but  these  must  be  brought  to  the  test  of 
experience.  Whatever  the  result  in  this  regard,  it  is 
certain  that  any  writer  who  hopes  to  do  much  work  should 
own,  or  at  least  operate,  a  type  machine.  To  see  one's  own 
work  in  approximately  the  form  in  which  prospective 
readers  are  to  see  it  is  in  itself  an  aid  to  self-criticism,  and 
if  one  thinks  of  newspaper  journalism  as  a  career  there  is 
simply  no  doing  without  the  typewriter. 


POINTS   ON   PREPARING   MANUSCRIPT  185 

3.     Preparing  the  Manuscript 


Use  white  paper,  letter  size  (8j^  x  n),  and  be  sure  that 
it  is  not  transparent. 

Never  use  single  space  in  typing,  and  double  space  is 
better  than  triple  —  except  for  the  first  draft,  on  which  you 
need  room  for  marking  revisions. 

Leave  proportionately  as  large  margins  on  all  sides  of  the 
type  page  as  you  see  on  this  printed  page.  At  the  top  of 
the  first  page  leave  a  wider  margin  than  usual. 

Do  not  use  a  copying  ribbon  on  your  typewriter;  it 
smudges,  and  also  stains  the  hands,  and  sometimes  the 
clothing,  of  the  one  who  reads. 

If  you  must  use  a  pen,  it  is  absolute  folly  to  write  in  a 
small  hand,  to  crowd  the  page,  or  to  write  on  both  sides  of 
the  sheet.  Few  editors  will  look  twice  at  such  a  manu- 
script. 

It  useless  to  submit  pencil-  written  manuscript  unless  you 
have  an  understanding  with  the  editor.  The  exceptions  to 
this  rule  are  negligible. 

Study  any  magazine  page  to  see  how  paragraphs  should 
be  set  in  from  the  left  hand  margin  of  the  page  —  about  one 
inch,  in  manuscript. 

Be  particularly  careful  to  begin  each  new  speech  by  a 
different  speaker  in  dialogue  with  a  new  paragraph.  Do 
not  bother  with  the  exception  to  this  rule  until  you  have 
mastered  the  practice. 

If  one  speaker  should  continue  his  speaking  over  into  a 
new  paragraph,  do  not  put  quotation  marks  at  the  end  of 
the  former  paragraph,  but  place  them  at  the  opening  of 


1 86  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

each  paragraph  containing  that  one  speech;  then  be  sure 
to  put  "quotes"  at  the  point  where  his  speaking  ends. 
The  principle  is  that  it  is  absolutely  essential  to  the  proper 
understanding  of  dialogue  for  the  reader  to  see  without  the 
slightest  effort  when  one  speaker  ends,  or  another  begins, 
or  the  author  makes  his  own  comment. 

If  you  have  occasion  to  alter  your  typing  slightly  by  pen 
it  is  not  necessary  to  recopy  it,  but  many  or  large  cor- 
rections and  additions  should  be  typed  and  inserted  in  the 
proper  place.  If  these  additions  take  up  only  a  few  lines 
and  the  page  is  thus  made  longer,  fold  the  sheet  at  the 
bottom  to  the  normal  length  of  page.  It  is  better,  however, 
to  add  a  new  page  and  renumber  all  the  pages,  even  though 
any  one  page  may  not  be  full. 

When  you  wish  to  alter  a  word  be  sure  to  mark  out 
the  discarded  word,  place  under  it  a  caret  (A)  and 
with  extreme  care  write  in  exactly  above  it  the  new  word. 
This  illustrates  why  double  spacing  is  necessary  in  typ- 
ing. 

If  you  change  the  name  of  a  character  in  a  story  be  sure 
to  change  it  consistently  all  through.  Neglect  of  this 
precaution  is  sure  to  prove  confusing  to  the  manuscript 
reader  and  may  make  your  story  so  unintelligible  as  to 
cause  its  rejection. 

Do  not  use  abbreviations,  but  spell  out  words  like 
"Doctor,"  "Senior,"  "cents,"  "New  Jersey,"  and  "Cap- 
tain." 

Spell  out  all  numbers  not  used  in  a  statistical  way. 

These  are  only  a  few  points — for  fuller  instruction  you 
should  consult  a  book  on  manuscript  preparation;  but 


POINTS   ON  PREPARING  MANUSCRIPT  187 

care  and  common  sense  are  good  guides  if  you  are  keen  to 
observe  how  magazine  pages  are  set  up. 

Fold  a  letter-size  sheet  twice,  thus  leaving  three  equal 
parts  of  the  paper  in  folds.  Positively  never  roll  the 
paper. 

Many,  though  not  all,  editors  prefer  that  short  manu- 
script should  not  be  permanently  fastened  or  bound.  Most 
literary  agencies,  however,  and  a  few  authors,  cover  and 
bind  their  short  manuscripts  by  cutting  a  peice  of  heavy 
paper,  dark  and  not  easily  torn,  to  a  size  12  x  8j^.  The 
entire  back  of  the  manuscript  is  covered,  the  extra  inch 
folded  over  the  top,  and  the  whole  riveted  through  the  top 
front  margin.  If  you  adopt  this  plan,  be  careful  in  typing 
your  story  to  leave  enough  margin  so  that  the  binding  edge 
may  not  hide  the  slightest  part  of  the  top  line,  or  even 
make  it  hard  to  read.  But  whatever  form  of  binding  you 
adopt — I  personally  advise  against  using  any — never  use 
pins. 

It  is  quite  safe  to  say  that  long  manuscripts  should  not 
be  bound  unless  thay  are  bound  in  small  and  numbered 
sections.  Suppose,  for  instance,  you  handled  several  novel 
manuscripts  in  a  single  day — would  it  not  be  easier  for  you 
to  glance  at  them  sheet  by  sheet  and  lay  the  sheets  aside 
rather  than  sit  for  seven  hours  literally  forcing  open  pages 
of  stiffly  or  eccentrically  bound  " books"?  Professional 
writers  do  not  bind  their  manuscripts.  Why  should  you? 

It  is  useless  and  laughable  to  decorate  a  manuscript  with 
ribbons,  crude  drawings,  and  the  like.  These  are  the  ear- 
marks of  eccentric  amateurism. 

The  first  page  of  either  bound  or  unbound  short  manu- 


1 88  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

scripts  may  be  kept  clean  by  adding  an  extra  sheet  of 
letterpaper  bearing  precisely  the  same  wording  as  you 
place  at  the  top  of  the  title  page.  Do  not  number  this  fly 
leaf  sheet.  The  last  page  should  be  blank,  to  help  keep  the 
manuscript  clean. 

Be  sure  to  number  (folio)  the  sheets  from  first  to  last, 
and  not  merely  by  chapters.  Suppose  an  editor  should 
inadvertently  drop  your  manuscript  at  the  same  moment 
that  a  gay  breeze  blew  in  his  window.  This  has  frequently 
happened. 

Do  not  fail  to  keep  a  carbon  copy  of  your  manuscript, 
and  note  on  it  all  your  revisions.  Almost  all  editors  are 
very  careful  of  proffered  material;  a  very  few,  however, 
are  conscienceless.  Besides,  mail  bags  are  sometimes 
destroyed. 

Use  large  and  strong  envelopes  for  sending  out  manu- 
script. Many  a  contribution  reaches  the  editor  in  a  soiled 
condition  because  the  flimsy  envelope  has  been  torn  in 
transit. 

It  is  far  better  to  enclose  a  stamped,  self-addressed, 
tough  envelope  for  the  possible  return  of  material,  but  if 
you  really  cannot  do  this,  send  stamps — if  you  do  not,  you 
are  not  likely  to  see  your  manuscript  again.  Stamps  may 
be  enclosed  in  oiled  paper  or  in  a  small  envelope,  or  they 
may  be  inserted  in  slits  made  in  a  piece  of  stiff  paper.  It 
is  not  desirable  to  paste  parts  of  the  stamps  on  either  the 
letter  or  the  manuscript,  unless  the  stamps  are  attached  by 
the  little  strips  of  unprinted  but  gummed  paper  which 
come  on  the  edges  of  stamp  sheets.  The  postal  clerk  will 
give  you  stamps  off  the  edge  if  you  ask  him — with  a  smile. 


POINTS   ON  PREPARING  MANUSCRIPT  189 

Do  not  pin  or  clip  stamps  to  your  letter,  and  in  no  circum- 
stances put  them  in  the  outer  envelope  loose. 

Be  sure  to  prepay  all  postage  fully,  at  letter  rates. 
Manuscript  positively  may  not  legally  be  sent  by  parcel 
post.  Some  packages  may  slip  by,  but  the  practice  is 
dishonest,  and  may  cause  trouble  in  the  end. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  stamp  your  name  and  address  in 
very  small  type  on  each  sheet. 

At  the  top  of  the  first  page  of  your  manuscript  place  the 
following  information: 

Submitted  by 

Henry  L.  Potter,  2500  words. 

136  Drew  St., 

Binghamton,  N.  Y. 

MR.  ULYSSES  OF  ITHACA 

BY  HENRY  L.  POTTER 

In  estimating  the  number  of  words,  count  several  lines 
on  the  average  page  in  order  to  average  the  number  of 
words  to  the  line.  Multiply  by  the  number  of  lines  in  the 
page,  and  then  by  the  number  of  pages.  Count  the  short 
lines  as  though  they  were  full,  and  estimate  carefully. 


CHAPTER  XV 

HOW  MANUSCRIPTS  ARE  MARKETED 

Intelligent  marketing  is  scarcely  less  important  than 
emcient  writing,  for  in  the  great  number  of  instances  the 
successful  writer  has  had  in  mind  from  the  beginning  the 
general  if  not  the  specific  market  for  which  he  is  produc- 
ing a  particular  piece  of  work.  The  only  exceptions  are 
those  works  of  art  which  are  literally  inspired — and  they 
are  exceptional  in  every  respect.  It  is  not  alone  in  find- 
ing a  market  that  most  inexperienced  writers  fail,  but  in 
planning  for  it. 

i.    Four  Ways  of  Marketing 

(a)  Calling  on  the  editor  should  always  be  an  excep- 
tional practice.  The  writer  of  importance  is  welcome  in  an 
editorial  office — if  he  is  not  a  bore — but  the  tyro  had  better 
stay  away,  for  his  call  is  likely  to  be  merely  an  interruption. 
These  are  hard  words  but  honest.  An  editor's  time  must  be 
as  carefully  conserved  as  that  of  the  surgeon  to  whom  he 
has  sometimes  been  compared.  There  are  very  few  pro- 
posals which  a  writer  may  not  make  more  effectively  in 
writing  than  by  word  of  mouth.  An  editor's  stock  in 
trade  is  his  judgment,  and  he  prefers  to  exercise  it  not  in 
the  presence  of  the  writer,  so  in  most  instances  a  personal 
call  can  serve  no  good  business  purpose. 

Once  in  a  long  while  an  editor  may  suggest  in  an  inter- 
view a  special  want  which  will  open  the  way  to  a  market, 


HOW  MANUSCRIPTS  ARE  MARKETED  1 9 1 

but  it  is  only  reasonable  to  suppose  that  such  "tips"  will 
be  reserved  for  writers  whose  work  is  known.  There  have 
been  cases,  too,  in  which  the  personality  of  the  writer  has 
so  impressed  the  editor  that  a  valuable  opening  has  fol- 
lowed, but  these  are  too  exceptional  to  make  the  personal 
call  really  valuable  in  the  long  run  for  the  beginner.  If  the 
editor  is  glad  to  see  a  lovely  woman  it  is  because  he  is 
human — not  because  he  is  an  editor.  He  would  soon  be 
hunting  a  new  chair  if  he  allowed  charming  faces  to  sell 
him  inferior  manuscripts. 

A  letter  of  introduction  will  usually  procure  an  inter- 
view, though  even  then  the  results  are  rarely  of  importance 
to  either  editor  or  writer.  Speaking  generally,  only  a  lesser 
member  of  the  editorial  staff  is  open  to  callers — the  time 
of  a  busy  editor  is  of  money  value  to  his  employers  and 
"the  chief"  knows  that,  with  all  his  desire  to  help  young 
writers,  he  cannot  afford  to  spend  much  time  in  explaining 
wants  which  may  be  inferred  from  the  pages  of  his  maga- 
zine, or  in  instructing  novices  when  helpful  handbooks  and 
reliable  schools  give  much  more  detailed  information  than 
he  could  convey  in  a  month  of  interviews. 

Of  course  the  sensible  reader  will  see  that  all  such  advice 
must  be  weighed  and  discarded  or  adopted  with  discrimi- 
nation. Rules  have  been  known  to  have  exceptions.  Yet 
the  prudent  person  will  not  begin  by  considering  himself  as 
exceptional — if  he  does  so  he  must  be  prepared  either  to 
demonstrate  his  conviction  or  to  meet  with  rebuffs.  These 
words  of  counsel  are  based  on  the  experiences  of  many 
editors  and  writers,  and  to  fly  in  the  face  of  good  practice 
is  to  accept  a  handicap.  It  may  be  best  to  do  so,  but  the 


192  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

chances  are  largely  in  favor  of  him  who  considers  the  ex- 
periences of  others. 

(b)  Using  a  friend  as  intermediary  has  in  unusual 
circumstances  proved  of  help,  yet,  just  as  with  the  letter  of 
introduction  used  to  get  an  interview,  this  course  is  oftener 
a  drawback.    An  editor  secretly  stiffens,  beneath  a  suave 
exterior,  the  moment  he  feels  that  a  lever  is  being  used  to 
lift  a  new  writer  into  his  magazine.    And  is  not  this  atti- 
tude perfectly  reasonable?    He  must  make  merit  the  sole 
open  sesame  or  in  that  far  he  is  an  inefficient  editor.    The 
utmost  that  mediation  can  procure  is  precisely  what  the 
editor  is  paid  to  give  without  mediation — the  fair  consider- 
ation of  a  manuscript.    It  is  hopeless  to  try  to  convince 
many  young  writers  that  manuscripts  are  fairly  weighed 
by  all  decent  magazines,  but  this  is  a  true  statement  never- 
theless.   A  woman  who  knows  that  she  does  not  want  a 
piece  of  Malta  lace  is  not  under  obligation  to  give  up  her 
housekeeping  time  to  look  over  the  wares  of  a  Syrian  ped- 
dler, and  an  editor  usually  knows  at  a  glance  whether  what 
is  offered  is  worth  further  consideration.    If  writers  spent 
more  time  in  preparing  the  right  material  for  the  right 
markets  they  would  spend  less  time  on  the  "pull"  side  of 
the  swinging  door  and  get  on  the  "push"  side. 

(c)  The  literary  agent  is  often  useful  in  handling  really 
salable  material,  especially  in  making  foreign  sales  through 
his  English  house,  but  all  his  experience  and  knowledge  do 
not  make  it  possible  for  him  to  place  any  other  than  really 
good  manuscripts.   Most  young  writers  who  want  an  agent 
do  not  produce  marketable  manuscripts.  They  have  tried — 
vainly  and  not  very  wisely — to  sell  their  literary  wares  and 


HOW  MANUSCRIPTS  ARE  MARKETED  193 

then  conclude  that  because  they  live  away  from  the  great 
cities  they  are  handicapped — which  is  in  itself  a  fallacy — 
and  that  literary  agents  must  know  secret  ways  for  making 
editors  disgorge  fat  checks.  Nothing  could  be  farther  from 
the  truth.  Still  other  beginners  conceive  the  original 
idea  that  an  agent  is  a  good  substitute  for  paying  post- 
age. They  abhor  the  necessity  for  buying  many  stamps 
and  prefer  that  an  agent  should  take  this  risk  in  their 
stead. 

The  truth  is  that  reliable  and  efficient  literary  agents  in 
the  United  States  are  not  legion  but  may  be  counted 
literally  on  the  fingers  of  one  hand.  Writers  of  ability  who 
produce  considerable  material  and  who  are  unwilling  to 
undertake  the  work — for  it  is  work — of  both  studying 
markets  and  offering  their  writings  here  and  abroad,  may 
profitably  employ  an  agent,  particularly  for  novels, 
serials,  and  short-stories.  I  know  of  many  such  instances. 
I  have,  however,  never  known  of  a  case  in  which  mediocre 
material  was  successfully  handled  continuously  by  an  agent. 
It  is  quite  true  that  a  good  representative  knows  markets 
and  can  find  openings  which  are  unknown  to  the  average 
writer.  It  is  also  true  that  he  usually  gets  fair  prices  for 
what  he  sells.  What  is  more,  he  will  act  as  a  literary  and 
business  adviser  for  a  writer  whose  work  is  succeeding  and 
often  thus  develop  him  rapidly.  Yet  many  writers  gain 
the  same  results  without  resorting  to  help — by  following 
with  common  sense  the  sort  of  methods  suggested  in  the 
rest  of  this  chapter. 

All  reliable  agents  must  charge  a  reading  fee  before 
undertaking  to  handle  a  manuscript.  If  they  did  not,  the 


IQ4  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

tax  on  their  time  would  be  prohibitive.  Some  are  willing 
to  send  out  unusually  promising  material  at  their  own 
expense,  but  most  require  a  postage  deposit,  and  rightly. 
All,  of  course,  charge  a  commission  on  sales — from  ten  to 
fifteen  per  cent  is  a  fair  average — and  arrange  the  contract, 
collect  from  the  publisher,  and  account  to  the  author — 
promptly,  if  they  are  honest. 

It  is  the  custom  of  many  tricky  agents  to  suggest  literary 
revision — for  a  fee — in  the  case  of  nearly  every  manuscript 
that  conies  in.  Two  or  three  reliable  agents  make  similar 
suggestions  when  in  their  opinions  the  manuscript  would 
be  helped  by  revision.  Needless  to  say,  this  is  an  honest 
scheme  only  when  the  material  actually  needs  criticism 
or  revision  and  when  it  shows  promise  of  an  eventual  sale. 
Suspect  the  motives  of  any  agent  who  seems  more  con- 
cerned about  getting  revision  fees  than  he  is  about  effecting 
sales. 

Most  editors  are  willing — if  a  stamped  addressed  enve- 
lope is  enclosed — to  suggest  the  name  of  a  trustworthy 
agent,  but  it  cannot  be  emphasized  too  strongly  that  it  is 
utterly  hopeless  to  ask  an  agent  to  handle  work  that  is  not 
above  the  ordinary.  Positively  he  cannot  sell  it. 

(d)  The  U.  S.  Mail  offers  in  almost  every  case  the  best 
way  to  sell  manuscript.  Whether  you  wish  to  sell  to  a 
single  periodical  or  to  or  through  a  syndicate,1  more  suc- 
cessful marketing,  by  ten  to  one,  is  done  by  mail  than 
through  any  other  medium. 

1  Journalism  and  Journalistic  Writing,  by  Ernest  Newton  Bagg, 
with  chapters  by  J.  Berg  Esenwein  and  Brett  Page — a  forth- 
coming volume  of  "The  Water's  Library" — will  contain  a  full 
section  on  writing  for  syndication. 


HOW   MANUSCRIPTS   ARE   MARKETED  195 

2.    How  to  Study  Markets 

(a)  Examining  the  magazines  is  obviously  the  first  step 
in  gaining  a  first-hand  knowledge  of  their  needs.    Public 
Libraries,  news  stands,  and  the  library  tables  of  friends 
may  be  used  in  supplementing  the  larger  or  smaller  col- 
lection of  copies  you  have  personally.    Many  periodicals 
will  send  free  a  sample  back  number  for  four  cents  to 
cover  postage.    If  you  ask  for  a  sample,  frankly  say  that 
you  are  a  writer — do  not  at  the  same  time  ask  for  an 
advertising  rate  card,  unless  you  are  general  (magazine) 
advertiser.     Magazines  maintain  costly  propaganda  to 
get  new  advertisers,  so  it  is  not  fair  to  mislead  them  into 
following  up  a  fictitious  prospect.    A  later  paragraph  sug- 
gests how  market  information  may  be  collected  by  making 
a  study  of  the  magazines  and  preserving  the  record  for 
use. 

(b)  A  collection  of  magazines  is  rather  easily  made  if 
one  can  give  them  accessible  storage  space.    Three  copies 
of  each  magazine  are  ten  times  the  value  of  one  for  showing 
the  tone  and  general  contents.     Recent  magazines  are 
often  procurable  for  a  trifle  at  secondhand  stalls  and  if 
your  friends  know  of  your  purpose  many  will  help  by  giving 
you  little-known  journals.    Your  business  acquaintances 
take  trade  papers — ask  to  see  them.    It  must  be  remem- 
bered, however,  that  very  old  issues  will  not  show  current 
needs. 

(c)  Collect  tables  of  contents  of  as  many  different  maga- 
zines as  you  can,  if  you  cannot  give  up  the  room  to  a  collec- 
tion of  full  magazine  specimens.   On  these  contents  pages 


1 96  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

you  may  pencil  such  information  as  may  help  you  to  recall 
the  length  and  kind  of  material  used. 

(d)  Infer  from  quotations  from  the  magazines  made  in 
newspapers  and  the  digests  the  sort  of  material  different 
periodicals  print.    It  is  easy  to  make  and  preserve  cuttings 
from  these  sources. 

(e)  A  card  index  or  a  notebook  record  of  the  following 
information  will  prove  valuable  if  kept  up-to-date: 

(1)  The  exact  names  of  magazines  and  their  ad- 
dresses.   It  is  surprising  how  many  contributions  are 
addressed  inaccurately,  and  even  to  the  wrong  city.    An 
offering  directed  to  The  Ladies'  Home  Journal,  New  York, 
would  indeed  be  forwarded  to  Philadelphia,  but  a  para- 
graph intended  for  The  Popular  Science  Monthly  would 
not  reach  its  destination  if  the  sender  had  omitted  the 
word  Science. 

(2)  Kinds  of  material  used.    Here  again  it  is  amaz- 
ing to  see  how  little  knowledge  is  shown  in  sending  out 
material.    Cuttings  of  specimen  paragraphs  pasted  on  the 
card  or  in  the  notebook  will  serve  as  an  example  of  the 
average  length  of  items  used  and  the  form  of  statement 
apparently  preferred  by  the  magazine.    Larger  cuttings, 
of  course,  are  also  valuable  but  in  a  lesser  degree. 

(j)  Rates  of  payment.  These  are  not  always  availa- 
ble, but  are  occasionally  stated  in  the  magazines.  Editors 
will  sometimes — but  not  always — give  definite  information 
as  to  rates,  if  the  request  is  accompanied  by  a  stamped 
addressed  envelope.  In  fact,  most  magazines  have  only  a 
minimum  rate  and  pay  according  to  the  value  of  material 
to  them. 


HOW  MANUSCRIPTS  ARE  MARKETED  197 

Experience,  too — your  own  and  that  of  others — will  help 
make  this  record  more  complete.  The  market  depart- 
ments of  magazines  for  writers  also  give  this  information 
in  certain  instances.  Since  periodicals  often  change  their 
policies,  acquaintance  with  the  character  of  material  used 
should  be  renewed  as  often  as  possible  by  looking  over  the 
latest  copies  obtainable. 

(f)  Printed  helps.    Besides  the  several  handbooks  that 
list  the  markets  for  literary  material,  there  are  several 
writers'  periodicals  which  contain  departments  devoted  to 
the  latest  news  of  magazine  markets,  reports  of  literary 
prize  contests,  and  changes  in  the  magazine  field.    Chief 
among  these  are  The  Editor,  Ridgewood,  N.  J.;    The 
Writer,  Boston,  Mass.;  The  Bulletin  of  the  Authors'  League 
of  America,  New  York]  and  The  Writer's  Monthly,1  Spring- 
field, Mass. 

Nearly  every  newspaper  office  owns  a  copy  of  a  late 
newspaper  directory — an  annual  containing  in  geographi- 
cal arrangement,  and  in  classes,  the  names  and  addresses 
of  thousands  of  newspapers  and  magazines.  This  book 
will  cheerfully  be  shown  you  if  you  ask.  It  is  of  great  value. 
If  you  have  access  to  the  offices  of  an  advertising  agency 
you  will  be  sure  to  find  there  also  various  printed  lists  of 
periodicals.  Of  course  these  directories  contain  no  state- 
ments of  market  requirements. 

(g)  Association  with  writers  will  often  be  the  means  of 
getting  and  giving  market  information.    Little  clubs  of 
literary  workers  may  be  made  especially  helpful. 

1  Edited  by  the  author  of  this  book. — THE  PUBLISHERS. 


198  WRITING  FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

3.     Utilizing  Market  Knowledge 

(a)  Adaptability  is  the  first  requisite  for  success  in 
magazine    writing.      Goldsmith    was    a    literary    hack. 
Stevenson  wrote  on  a  surprising  variety  of  subjects. 
Eugene  Field  did  "space  writing"  for  years.     Kipling 
began  his  career  as  a  journalist  and  wrote  on  everything. 
How  often  must  the  neophyte  be  told  that  he  cannot  begin 
at  the  top — except  it  be  the  top  floor  of  a  lodging  house, 
and  that  need  not  be  a  disaster.    The  trifling  single  dollars 
and  small  checks  for  versicles,  jests  and  information-items 
will  mount  to  a  respectable  sum  if  you  are  alert  to  furnish 
what  many  editors  want.    For  years  American  merchants 
made  little  impression  on  South  American  marts  because 
they  did  not  furnish  their  goods  in  precisely  the  way  the 
buyers  wished.    The  same  futile  ineptitude  holds  back 
many  writers.    Literally,  anyone  who  has  intelligence  and 
can  write  plain  English  can  sell  to  the  magazines  and  sell 
often — though  not  nearly  everyone  can  sell  fiction,  long 
articles,  drama  and  poetry.     Be  adaptable.     Study  not 
only  the  contents  of  each  magazine  physically,  but  grasp 
its  tone — that  is  really  half  the  secret  of  suiting  an  editor. 
Everything  must  be  grist  for  the  writer's  grinding — and 
everything  must  be  ground,  fine  or  course,  as  readers  like. 
The  many-sided  writer  will  be  the  writer  of  many  ac- 
ceptances.   By  and  by  comes  the  next  step: 

(b)  Specializing.    All  the  while  that  you  are  gathering 
"  little  "  things  to  write — a  storiette  of  seven  hundred  words 
for  a  newspaper,  a  syndicate,  or  a  popular  magazine,  the 
report  of  a  unique  aeroplane  for  a  scientific  magazine,  a 


HOW  MANUSCRIPTS  ARE  MARKETED  199 

recipe  for  curing  automobile  engine  troubles,  for  almost 
any  periodical,  a  plan  for  an  entertainment  for  a  woman's 
journal,  an  anecdote  for  a  big  monthly — what  not — you 
can  be  gravitating  toward  your  ultimate  self,  finding  your 
specialty. 

That  specialty,  of  course,  need  not  be  a  life  work.  In 
your  locality  you  may  become  a  (not  the)  correspondent 
for  a  magazine — or  a  class  of  magazines — by  sending  in  so 
much  acceptable  material  that  they  will  naturally  look  to 
you  for  that  sort  of  thing  when  an  order  is  going  out.  You 
may  so  completely  master  a  fresh  field — new  ones  come 
into  being  quickly  these  days — that  you  will  be  recognized 
as  writing  with  authority.  The  story  of  extracting  crude 
oil  from  Utah  and  Colorado  shale  will  make  a  feature 
article,  but  in  the  writing  of  that  article  a  dozen  by-product 
"editorials,"  articles  and  items  will  be  found  suitable  for 
other  periodicals.  Only  see  that  each  article  or  item  is 
handled  from  a  different  angle  and  your  markets  will 
multiply. 

Yesterday  a  young  man  said  to  me,  "I  am  writing 
advertising,  but  I  have  an  eye  turned  to  fiction  writing, 
which  is  going  to  be  my  big  work  by  and  by."  Thus 
adaptability,  versatility,  is  to  serve  specialty — fiction  is  to 
be  an  avocation  until  it  may  wisely  become  a  vocation.  To 
do  this  he  will  utilize  his  present  market  opportunities,  and 
gain  pen-facility  day  by  day. 

(c)  Forecasting  popular  interest.  By  this  I  do  not 
mean  timeliness,  but  the  greater  matter  of  making  a  shrewd 
estimate  of  what  the  public  is  going  to  be  interested  in. 
The  song  writer  argues  that  it  is  about  time  for  a  fresh  in- 


2OO  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

terest,  or  the  revival  of  one  long  dead.  The  writer  must  do 
the  same — and  he  can.  The  moment  one  wave  mounts  to 
its  crest  he  must  not  alone  prepare  for  its  decline  but 
presage  the  crest  of  the  next  wave.  To  know  the  past  and 
the  present — important  prerequisites ! — fits  one  to  predict 
the  future.  Be  up  with  the  times,  ahead  of  the  times — but 
not  so  far  ahead  as  to  be  unintelligible.  Great  inventors 
are  not  content  to  fill  the  proverbial  long-felt  want — they 
invent  for  what  the  people  will  want  tomorrow,  and  make 
them  want  it. 

(d)  Inventing  markets.   The  writer  must  continually  be 
a  merchant — he  must  sell  the  buyer  not  alone  what  he  has 
been  used  to  buying  but  something  new.    Would  a  maga- 
zine be  brightened  by  a  department  which  you  are  well 
qualified  to  write  or  conduct,  suggest  it — and  send  a  full 
sample  of  what  you  can  do.   Is  an  editor  catering  to  yester- 
day's demand,  show  him  how  to  please  the  people  of  today 
and  tomorrow.    Don't  tell  him — show  him.    Is  there  sure 
to  be  a  growing  demand  for  information  which  no  maga- 
zine now  gives  but  which  you  possess  or  can  get,  invent  a 
means  of  giving  that  information  popularly.     There  are 
scores  of  openings  in  the  magazine  field — waiting  to  be 
pried  open.    The  trouble  is  that  thousands  of  writers  are 
trying  to  push  into  niches  already  jammed  full  of  fixtures. 

Who,  do  you  suppose,  invents  all  the  ideas  for  new  de- 
partments in  the  magazines?  Not  always  the  editors,  by 
any  means.  Let  no  one  say  the  periodicals  are  over- 
stocked with  writers  so  long  as  a  fresh  magazine  idea  is 
born  every  day. 

(e)  The  photograph  as  an  adjunct  of  writing.    Only  a  , 


HOW  MANUSCRIPTS  ARE  MARKETED  2OI 

little  space  can  be  given  to  this  market  suggestion,  but  the 
mere  idea  should  prove  a  fruitful  one.  True,  more  photo- 
graphs are  sold  without  accompanying  articles  than  with 
them,  but  the  writer  who  can  send  a  clear  snapshot  of  an 
object  he  describes  takes  the  inside  track  Human-interest 
pictures  are  best — a  strange  animal  with  a  child  in  the 
same  picture  is  better  than  either  alone.  Buildings,  in- 
ventions, natural  scenery,  catastrophes,  decorations — 
invest  them  all  with  human  interest  if  you  would  make 
your  camera  help  your  pen  work.  Think  of  the  sectional, 
real  estate,  outing,  travel,  farming,  domestic,  popular 
science,  and  other  periodicals,  to  say  nothing  of  the  dailies 
and  the  illustrated  weeklies — newspaper  and  magazine — 
which  use  photographic  material.  Some  require  only  a 
line  of  description,  others  a  mere  breezy  title,  while  others 
buy  one  or  two  hundred  words  of  text — but  the  market  is 
large. 1 

In  sending  photographs  be  sure  to  pack  them  safe  from 
breakage,  use  a  shiny  print,  and  write  on  the  back,  "  Please 
return  to  Miriam  Robinson,  92  Ardmore  St.,  Hartford, 
Conn."— or  "words  to  that  effect." 

(f)  Foreign  markets  do  not  offer  wide  openings  nor 
many,  yet  there  is  a  chance  for  the  American  writer.  A 
good  literary  agent  can  best  serve  a  successful  writer,  but 
he  will  rarely  offer  abroad  the  work  of  the  inexperienced 
unless  it  is  quite  exceptional.  At  the  same  time,  it  is  quite 
possible  for  the  writer  to  market  his  own  work.  2 

1  See  Footnote  2,  page  47. 

8  The  Writer's  Monthly,  Springfield,  Mass.,  prints  in  its  Sep- 
tember, 1916,  number  a  very  full  list  of  British  markets,  so  far  as 
conditions  made  by  the  war  permitted. 


202  WRITING   FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 

American  settings  had  better  not  be  emphasized  in  sto- 
ries offered  abroad — the  locale  of  a  great  city,  for  instance, 
is  enough  for  a  city  story.  The  British  magazines  are  more 
hospitable  to  tales  of  adventure  than  to  complicated  plots; 
boys'  stories  are  in  demand;  and  crisp  notes  of  events  of 
international  interest,  accompanied  by  photographs,  are 
always  in  demand  by  the  great  illustrated  weeklies. 

Instead  of  enclosing  American  stamps  for  the  return  of 
manuscript  go  to  the  post  office  and  buy  an  international 
postal  coupon  to  cover  the  full  amount. 

4.     The  Best  Practice  in  Marketing 

Keep  a  manuscript  record.  On  page  57  is  an  article 
fully  describing  a  good  system. 

Do  not  send  out  your  carbon  copy  if  you  can  avoid  it.  It 
is  usually  less  easily  read,  and  editors  are  likely  to  suspect 
that  the  material  is  being  offered  to  more  than  one  maga- 
zine at  the  same  time — a  thing  which  should  never  be  done 
as  it  may  lead  to  unpleasant  complications.  Editors 
abhor  the  practice. 

Do  not  send  out  soiled  manuscript — it  makes  editors 
feel  that  the  manuscript  has  been  the  rounds,  and  they  are 
human  enough  to  wonder  if  what  others  editor  do  not  like 
may  after  all  contain  weaknesses  which  their  own  eyes 
have  failed  to  detect. 

As  soon  as  you  have  an  acceptance  do  not  flood  the  same 
journal  with  other  manuscript. 

It  is  better  not  to  offer  more  than  one  full-length  manu- 
script at  a  time  to  one  editor. 


HOW  MANUSCRIPTS  ARE  MARKETED  203 

Letters  to  editors  should  be  short,  or  omitted  entirely. 
Writers  prejudice  their  chances  by  writing  long  letters, 
particularly  letters  of  explanations  as  to  how  the  story  or 
article  came  to  be  written,  reasons  why  the  writer  needs 
the  money,  and  catalogues  of  private  woes. 

Wait  at  least  a  month  before  asking  for  a  report  on  your 
manuscript — preferably,  wait  longer.  Often,  delay  means 
special  consideration;  some  editors,  however,  are  simply 
slow;  others  are  occasionally  human  enough  to  be  ill  or 
take  a  vacation  and  your  manuscript  may  be  awaiting  the 
verdict  of  the  chief.  Delays  are  exasperating  and  some 
magazines  do  not  treat  writers  fairly  in  this  respect,  but 
most  editors  are  glad  to  decide  on  material  as  quickly  as 
possible.  It  no  more  pays  for  a  writer  to  write  abrupt,  not 
to  say  irritable,  letters  to  an  editor  than  it  does  for  a  sales- 
man to  quarrel  with  a  merchant  who  does  not  buy  from 
him. 

To  send  a  manuscript  to  an  editor  by  name  and  mark  the 
letter  "personal"  not  only  will  fail  to  guarantee  a  personal 
reading  by  that  editor  but  may  delay  any  reading  of  the 
manuscript  until  the  editor  returns  from  an  absence. 

If  you  propose  a  series,  send  two  or  three  specimen 
numbers — quite  enough  to  make  the  editor  absolutely  sure 
that  he  knows  what  he  is  buying. 

It  is  better  not  to  set  a  price  on  your  manuscript,  though 
a  few  well-known  writers  do.  Most,  however,  do  not.  If 
you  are  not  content  to  offer  your  manuscript  "at  regular 
rates,"  courteously  ask  the  editor  to  make  an  offer  for  your 
manuscript.  It  is  far  better  for  the  beginner  to  accept  the 
regular  rates  of  the  magazine,  and  send  no  more  manu- 


2O4  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

script  if  the  check  is  not  satisfactory.  This  assumes,  of 
course,  that  the  regular  price  is  within  reason.  It  is  not 
uncommon  for  young  writers  to  set  a  preposterous  valua- 
tion on  their  writings. 

It  only  cheapens  a  manuscript  in  an  editor's  eyes  to 
have  it  offered  "for  half  price" — or  even  without  compen- 
sation, as  is  often  done.  This,  of  course,  applies  only  to 
prosperous  periodicals  that  pay  for  their  material. 

Many  editors  refuse  to  read  any  further  in  a  manuscript 
several  of  whose  leaves  have  been  designedly  misplaced  or 
lightly  stuck  together,  so  that  the  writer  may  discover  if 
the  whole  manuscript  has  been  read.  Never  permit  your- 
self to  use  this  ancient  device. 

If  you  call  on  the  editor,  do  not  ask  him  to  read  your 
manuscript  while  you  wait;  and  do  not  forget  to  leave 
return  postage  with  your  manuscript — every  day  editors 
receive  manuscript  by  messenger  or  in  person  from  those 
who  apparently  forget  the  return  stamps. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  number  all  small  items,  such  as  jokes, 
so  that  your  record  may  be  easily  kept.  Inaccurate  rec- 
ords have  led  many  writers  to  offer  material  already  sold 
to  another  magazine. 

Material  for  special  issues  and  suitable  for  particular 
seasons  should  be  offered  from  four  to  six  months  in  ad- 
vance. The  weeklies  consider  material  a  shorter  time  in 
advance  of  publication  than  the  monthlies. 

Do  not  ask  the  editor  to  give  you  a  criticism  of  your 
manuscript — he  will  volunteer  criticism  if  he  thinks  a  few 
suggestions  will  help  you  to  revise  the  story  so  that  he  may 
use  it.  Editors  would  like  to  help  you,  but  it  would  take 


HOW  MANUSCRIPTS   ARE   MARKETED  205 

all  their  time  if  they  gave  specific  reasons  for  rejecting  the 
thousands  of  manuscripts  read  yearly. 

The  following  advice  is  quoted  from  "Writing  the  Short- 
Story,"  by  the  present  author: 

"Don't  let  the  printed  rejection  slip  humiliate  you.  Really 
great  writers  get  them,  constantly.  It  would  take  too  much  time 
and  money  for  an  editorial  staff  to  write  personal  letters  to  all 
who  offer  unsolicited  manuscript. 

"Don't  load  up  your  envelope  with  printed  notices  of  your 
privately-published  book,  your  lecture,  or  any  sort  of  personal 
advertisement.  They  will  all  go  to  the  wastebasket  unread. 
The  editor  is  concerned  only  with  your  story.  If  that  is  good, 
he  may  accept  it  in  spite  of  your  previous  literary  offenses.  There 
is  some  excuse  for  a  writer's  saying  in  his  letter,  '  This  month's 
Scribner's  contains  a  story  of  mine,  and  I  send  you  another  in  the 
same  vein.*  The  editor  likes  to  know  that,  for  he  may  prefer  an 
accepted  author,  under  certain  conditions,  and  may  have  over- 
looked your  story  in  the  other  magazine,  though  usually  he  glances 
over  'all  the  periodicals' — and  always  reads  those  in  his  own  line. 

"Remember  that  stories  too  similar  to  those  lately  published 
are  as  likely  to  prove  unavailable  as  those  which  are  too  different 
in  general  tone. 

"Err  rather  upon  the  side  of  brevity  than  of  length. 

"Don't  be  discouraged  if  your  story  comes  back.  Reread  it, 
and  if  you  are  quite  sure  it  is  the  best  you  can  do,  send  it  out 
again,  using  your  best  judgment  as  to  the  magazine  to  which  it 
seems  suited.  If  it  comes  back  again,  lay  it  aside  for  another 
reading  when  it  will  be  fresh  again.  If  you  see  anything  wrong 
then,  bravely  rectify  it  and  send  it  out  once  more.  Many  a  story 
has  been  sold  on  its  tenth,  yes,  its  twentieth  trip.  But  it  is  a 
waste  of  postage  and  patience  and  editorial  brain  to  keep  on 
sending  inferior  material  to  magazines  which  are  plainly  too 
critical  to  accept  loosely  constructed  work." 

It  is  not  right  to  offer  material  that  has  been  printed  in 
whole  or  in  part  before,  unless  you  say  so  definitely. 
If  you  offer  a  manuscript  without  specifying  what  rights 


206  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

are  offered,  and  endorse  for  collection  the  publisher's  check 
in  payment,  you  thereby  sell  all  your  rights  in  the  manu- 
script. If  you  wish  to  sell  "  first  magazine  rights  only  " — 
sometimes  called  "first  serial  rights,"  meaning  the  right  to 
print  in  that  magazine — and  no  other  rights  are  offered, 
you  must  say  so  specifically,  either  on  the  face  of  your 
manuscript  or  in  your  letter,  and  better  in  both,  otherwise 
confusion  and  possible  loss  will  arise.  There  is  much  dif- 
ference in  practice  in  reserving  for  the  author  second  serial 
rights  (sometimes  called  "syndicate  rights"),  book  rights, 
photoplay  rights,  dramatic  rights,  foreign  rights,  and  trans- 
lation rights,  instead  of  selling  to  the  publisher  all  rights. 
Experience  only  can  guide  you.  Some  magazines  refuse  to 
buy  any  material  to  which  they  do  not  acquire  all  rights; 
others  are  willing  to  specify  precisely  what  rights  they  are 
buying  and  what  rights  are  reserved  by  the  author;  while 
still  other  publishers  are  willing,  if  requested,  to  copyright 
the  material  on  publication  in  the  name  of  the  publisher 
but  promise  to  assign  later  to  the  author  all  rights  other 
than  first  magazine,  or  "  serial,"  rights.  In  general,  it  may 
be  said  that  most  publishers  are  willing  at  once  to  concede 
book  rights  to  the  writer,  but  many  magazines  are  not  so 
ready  to  give  up  moving  picture  rights.  It  must  be  re- 
membered, however,  that  comparatively  few  short-stories 
and  serial  stories  are  salable  for  photoplay  production.  In 
case  of  doubt  it  is  best  to  take  advice.  Most  young  writers 
are  too  glad  to  get  magazine  checks  to  make  them  anxious 
to  quarrel  over  a  remote  chance  for  future  profit.  In  any 
case,  examine  carefully  the  wording  and  the  meaning  of 
the  receipt  offered  you  to  sign. 


HOW  MANUSCRIPTS   ARE   MARKETED  207 

Members  of  the  Authors'  League  of  America,  33  West 
42nd  Street  New  York  (dues  $10.00  yearly),  are  advised 
by  that  organization  not  to  sign  any  contract  with  a  pub- 
lisher which  has  not  first  been  submitted  to  the  legal  depart- 
ment of  the  League  for  inspection.  Any  writer  may  join 
this  useful  organization. 

Contracts  are  made  only  for  the  sale  of  longer  literary 
work,  such  as  book  material,  plays,  photoplays,  and  shorter 
work  in  series. 

Writers  must  not  expect  to  receive  as  large  pay  for 
material  to  which  they  have  sold  only  the  first  magazine, 
or  serial,  rights  as  when  all  rights  have  been  acquired  by 
the  publisher. 

No  article,  poem  or  piece  of  fiction  may  be  copyrighted 
before  publication,  but  the  author  may  regain  the  copy- 
right by  arrangement  with  the  publisher,  in  the  way  just 
explained. 


APPENDIX  A 


(a)  Purs 
Words 


A  DIGEST  or  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  PROSE  WRITING 

I.    DICTION— THE  RIGHT  USE  OF  RIGHT  WORDS 

1.  Avoid  obsolete  words,  like  whilom. 

2.  Purely  local  and  slang  words  had 

better  either  be  quoted  or  con- 
fined to  dialogue;  as  heft,  for 
weight  or  bulk;  or  fake,  for 
fraud. 

3.  Rarely  use  a  foreign  word  before 

it  has  been  naturalized. 

4.  Never  use  a  foreign  word  when 

there  is  an  equally  short  and 
precise  English  equivalent. 
Duet  is  better  than  duetto. 


5.  Be  too  alert  to  use  the  wrong  word 

because  it  sounds  like  the  right 
one,  as  demean  for  bemean. 

6.  Poetical  words,  like  erst  and  me- 

thinks,  should  be  confined  to 
lofty  and  impassioned  prose 
and  to  satire. 

7.  Be  sure  that  technical  terms — 

like  sequela,  for  consequences — 
are  used  only  in  technical  arti- 
cles. Be  sure  that  more  familiar 
technical  words  are  perfectly 


(b)  Proper 
Words 


2IO 


WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 


Proper 
Words 
(Continued) 


(c)  Precise 
Words 


intelligible  from  their  context. 

8.  Do  not  use  contractions  like  I'll, 

except  in  dialogue  or  in  very 
familiar  prose. 

9.  Do  not  use  a  word  twice  in  two 

different  senses  in  the  same 
paragraph  without  making  the 
distinction  clear. 

10.  Prefer  simple  words  to  those  more 

high-sounding.  Do  this  by  not 
using  many  words  of  Latin 
origin — mingle  a  few  longer 
words  with  many  short  ones. 

11.  Never  use  a  word  out  of  its  ac- 

cepted meaning  unless  the  con- 
text makes  your  usage  clear. 

12.  Among    synonyms,    choose    the 

word  that  expresses  exactly 
your  shade  of  meaning,  both  in 
kind  and  in  degree. 

13.  Avoid  general  words  when  specific 

words  will  say  precisely  what 
you  mean. 


Kinds 


II.    SENTENCES 

14.  Short  sentences  should  be  used  for 
vigor,  emphasis,  rapid  move- 
ment, and  impassioned  dis- 
course. 


APPENDIX  A 


211 


Kinds 
(Continued) 


15.  Too  many  short  sentences  pro- 

duce a  disconnected,  jerky 
effect. 

1 6.  For  detail,  smoothness,  rhythm, 

and  beauty,  use  longer  sen- 
tences. 

17.  Use  care  lest  long  sentences  ob- 

scure the  meaning  and  slow  up 
the  movement. 

1 8.  Use  balanced  sentences  to  bring 

out  comparison  or  contrast,  as: 

"If  the  flights  of  Dryden  therefore 
are  higher,  Pope  continues  longer 
on  the  wing.  If  of  Dryden's  fire 
the  blaze  is  brighter,  of  Pope's  the 
heat  is  more  regular  and  constant. 
Dryden  often  surpasses  expectation, 
and  Pope  never  falls  below  it. 
Dryden  is  read  with  frequent  as- 
tonishment, and  Pope  with  per- 
tual  delight." — JOHNSON'S  Lives 
of  the  Poets:  "Pope." 

19.  To  sustain  the  immediate  interest, 

use  periodic  sentences — that  is, 
sentences  that  would  be  gram- 
matically incomplete  if  ended 
before  the  last  words.  The  fol- 
lowing sentence  could  not  be 
cut  without  injury: 

"  By  a  curious  irony  of  fate,  the  places 
to  which  we  are  sent  when  health 
deserts  us  are  often  singularly 


212 


WRITING   FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 


Kinds 
(Continued} 


beautiful." — STEVENSON:     Ordered 
South. 

20.  In  easy  and  informal  discourse  it 
is  quite  right  to  use  a  greater 
number  of  loose  sentences, 
which  might  have  been  ended 
earlier  and  yet  be  grammati- 
cally complete.  The  following 
example  from  Stevenson  im- 
mediately precedes  the  fore- 
going periodic  sentence: 

"Often  too,  they  are  places  we  have 
visited  in  former  years  or  seen 
briefly  in  passing  by,  and  kept  ever 
afterwards  in  pious  memory;  and 
we  please  ourselves  with  the  fancy 
that  she  shall  repeat  many  vivid 
and  pleasurable  sensations  and  take 
up  again  the  thread  of  our  enjoy- 
ment in  the  same  spirit  as  we  let  it 
fall." 


III.    ESSENTIAL  PROPERTIES  OF  STYLE 


21.  Do  not  shift  tenses,  as: 

Martha  was  naturally  dismayed.  She 
rises  and  paces  the  floor — her  whole 
bearing  shows  consternation. 


(a)  Grammatical 
Correctness 


22.  Do  not  allow  your  tenses  to  be 
out  of  harmony,  as: 

"  I  never  was  so  long  in  company  with 
a  girl  in  my  life — trying  to  enter- 
tain her — and  succeed  [succeeded] 


APPENDIX   A 


2I3 


Grammatical 
Correctness 
(Continued) 


so  ill." — JANE  AUSTEN,  Mansfield 
Park. 

23.  Avoid  placing  an  adverb  between 

the  parts  of  an  infinitive.  To 
sweetly  sing  is  called  a  split  in- 
finitive. 

24.  Do  not  let  intervening  words,  or 

an  inverted  order,  disturb  the 
agreement  of  the  verb  with  the 
subject,  as: 

"In  these  expressions  were  shadowed 
out  the  whole  of  that  course  sub- 
sequently developed." — H.  L.  BUL- 
WER,  Historical  Characters. 

25.  Use  shall  and  will,  should  and 

would,  with  care. 

26.  Use  the  subjunctive  mood  when 

the  condition  is  doubtful,  the 
indicative  mood  when  the  con- 
dition is  regarded  as  a  fact. 
Note  the  difference  in  condi- 
tions in  these  sentences: 

If  he  be  an  imposter  why  are  there  no 

proofs  advanced? 
If  he  is  an  imposter  you  have  made 

him  one. 

27.  Fit  verbs  to  collectives  according 

to  the  sense  and  not  by  rule. 
This  people  is  and  These  people 
are  express  different  ideas. 

28.  Do  not  use  such  as  a  final  pro- 


214 


WRITING  FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 


Grammatical 
Correctness 
(Continued) 


noun,  as:  Have  nothing  to  do 
with  such. 

29.  When  that  is  used  properly  as  a 

relative  it  has  a  closely  restric- 
tive sense,  whereas  the  relative 
which  introduces  an  explana- 
tory clause,  and  when  so  used  is 
usually  preceded  by  a  comma. 

I  hate  personal  liberty  that  means 

merely  license. 
I  hate  personal  liberty,  which  means 

merely  license. 

30.  Use  only  a  nominative  after  any 

predicate  form  of  the  verb  to  be, 
as:  It  is  I,  not,  It  is  me;  The 
patriots  were  they,  not,  The 
patriots  were  them. 

31.  Use  whom  only  as  an  objective, 

never  as  a  nominative. 
Disraeli  uses  whom  incorrectly 
here: 

"The  younger  Harper,  whom  [who] 
they  agree  was  nice-looking,  etc." 

32.  Be  sure  that  each  group  of  words 

you  punctuate  as  a  sentence 
contains,  or  clearly  implies,  a 
predicating  verb — a  verb  which 
definitely  makes  a  declaration, 
asks  a  question,  or  utters  an 
exclamation.  Verb-forms  end- 


APPENDIX  A 


215 


Grammatical 
Correctness 
(Continued} 


(6)  Clearness 


(c)  Unity  and 
Coherence 


ing  in  -ing  (as  singing),  without 
a  supporting  verb  (like  are, 
were),  are  not  enough  to  form 
the  predicate  of  a  sentence. 

33.  Place  adverbs  and  adverbial  modi- 

fiers close  to  the  words  they 
modify.  Be  particularly  careful 
in  placing  only. 

34.  "Between  a  word  and  its  modifier 

do  not  put  anything  that  can 
steal  the  modification." 

— GENUNG. 

35.  Let  there  be  no  doubt  as  to  which 

of  two  or  more  nouns  of  like 
gender  and  number  a  personal 
pronoun  relates.  This  fault  is 
most  common  in  long  sen- 
tences: 

OBSCURE:  Jack  told  his  brother  that 
he  was  a  thief. 

36.  Be  sure  that  all  omitted  parts  of 

a  sentence  are  clearly  implied. 

37.  During  the  course  of  a  sentence  do 

not  loosely  shift  the  logical  sub- 
ject, but  maintain  your  view- 
point, even  in  comparing  and 
contrasting.  One  main  thought 
should  dominate  each  sentence. 


216 


WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 


Unity  and 
Coherence 
(Continued) 


38.  Do  not  crowd  conflicting  ideas,  or 

thoughts  not  naturally  related. 

39.  Rarely  attach  relative  clauses  to 

other  clauses  which  are  them- 
selves dependent. 

40.  A  too  free  use  of  parenthetical 

expressions  tends  to  switch 
thought  away  from  the  subject. 

41.  Rarely  attach  a  supplementary 

expression  to  the  end  of  an 
already  complete  sentence.  Too 
many  loose  sentences  indicate 
loose  thinking. 


(a)  Emphasis 


IV.    SPECIAL  PROPERTIES  OF  STYLE 

42.  For  emphasis,  give  a  conspicuous 

place  in  the  sentence  to  the 
main  idea,  using  the  other  parts 
as  a  background. 

43.  Invert  the  position  of  the  modi- 

fier to  give  it  emphasis,  as: 
A  forehead  high-browed  and  massive. 


44.  By  putting  subsidiary  matter  first, 

the  logical  subject  will  be  em- 
phasized (periodic  sentence). 

45.  R  epetition  of  sen  tence-f  orms  some- 

times adds  emphasis,  but  this 
device  should  be  used  spar- 
ingly. 


APPENDIX   A 


2I7 


Emphasis 
(Continued} 


(6)  Force 


(c)  Harmony 


46.  Observe  proportion  so  that  the 

sequence  of  ideas  may  lead  up 
to  a  climax. 

47.  Plain,  specific,  short,  and  strong 

words  give  vigor  to  sentences. 

48.  Avoid  the  repetition  of  ideas,  and 

the  use  of  unnecessary  words — 
especially  connectives. 

49.  "End  with  words  that  deserve 

distinction." — WENDELL. 

50.  For  weighty  force,  cut  out  modi- 

fiers, condense  clauses  and 
phrases  into  equivalent  words, 
and  choose  the  most  emphati- 
cally direct  words. 

51.  Do  not  depend  upon  italics  and 

exclamation  points  to  strength- 
en weak  thoughts,  weak  words 
and  weak  arrangement. 

52.  To  secure  harmony  suit  the  sound 

of  words  to  the  sense  (ono- 
matopoeia). 

53.  Select  synonyms  when  it  is  nec- 

essary to  repeat  ideas,  but  do 
not  lose  the  shade  of  meaning. 

54.  Use  alliteration  sparingly. 

55.  Arrange  your  material  with  an 

ear  to  the  prevalence  of  har- 
monious sounds  when  it  is  read 


218 


WRITING   FOR   THE   MAGAZINES 


Harmony 
(Continued) 


(d)  Vitality 


(e)  Variety 


aloud,  but  remember  that  un- 
due smoothness  may  destroy 
force. 

56.  Use  direct,  idiomatic  English,  but 

distinguish  between  good 
idioms  and  time-worn  expres- 
sions. 

57.  Be  chary  in  quoting  apt  phrases — 

invent  your  own. 

58.  Look  out  for  the  pitfall  of  top- 

lofty or  poetic  language.  Sim- 
plicity is  best. 

59.  Rapid  movement  is  gained  by 

suppressing  details,  using  nouns 
that  are  so  expressive  that  ad- 
jectives are  not  needed,  and 
inventing  epithets  to  portray 
characteristic  points. 

60.  Figures  of  speech  give  variety. 

61.  Used   guardedly,    circumlocution 

gives  variety. 

62.  Suggestion  relieves  the  monotony 

of  direct  description. 

63.  It  gives  variety  to  have  one  char- 

acter describe  another  instead 
of  using  direct  description. 

64.  Do  not  open  several  successive 

sentences  in  the  same  gram- 
matical form. 


APPENDIX  A 


2IQ 


Variety 
(Continued) 


(/)  Figures 
of  Speech 


65.  Vary  declarative  and  interroga- 

tory with  exclamatory  forms. 

66.  Expression    may   be   varied   by 

changing  the  voice  of  the  verb. 

67.  Study  the  inversion  produced  by 

introducing  sentences  with 
"there"  and  "it."  A  free  use 
of  this  device  destroys  force. 

68.  Learn  to  change  from  direct  to 

indirect  quotation  (discourse). 

69.  Use  the  historical  present  very 

rarely. 

70.  Learn  how  to  paraphrase  poetic 

into  prosaic  language,  and  con- 
trariwise. 

71.  Practice  contracting  clauses  into 

phrases  and  into  words;  as 
well  as  expanding  words  and 
phrases  into  clauses. 

72.  Let  your  figures1  be  short,  fresh, 

striking,  and  never  far-fetched. 

73.  For  condensed  and  vivid  descrip- 

tion, use  simile,  metaphor,  allu- 
sion, and  personification. 

74.  Interrogation,   exclamation,   and 

hyperbole  are  used  for  impres- 
sive assertion. 


1  The  Art  of  Versification  gives  examples  of  all  the  figures  of 
speech. 


22O 


WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 


Figures 

of  Speech 
(Continued) 


The  Relations 
of  the 
Thoughts 


75.  Apostrophe,  and  vision  (the  his- 

torical present),  are  suited  to 
dramatic  narration. 

76.  For  illustrations,  study  the  use  of 

figures  of  comparison. 

77.  A  thing  may  be  affirmed  by  deny- 

ing its  opposite  (litotes) : 
"A  citizen  of  no  mean  city. — PAUL. 

78.  Figures  must  harmonize  with  the 

tone  of  the  composition. 

79.  Do  not  mix  your  comparisons,  as: 

These  temples  of  legislation,  though 
fruitful  of  lofty  spirits,  are  denied 
by  the  chaffering  of  money-mad 
bargainers. 

80.  Figures  may  easily  be  carried  to 

extremes  and  used  to   excess 
(fine  writing). 

"The  devouring  element  lapped  the 
quivering  spars,  the  mast,  and  the 
sea-shouldering  keel  of  the  doomed 
Mary  Jane  in  one  coruscating 
catastrophe.  The  sea  deeps  were 
incarnadined  to  an  alarming  extent 
by  the  flames,  and  to  escape  from 
such  many  plunged  headlong  in 
their  watery  bier." — Quoted  by 
Andrew  Lang. 


V.    THE  THOUGHT-DIVISIONS 

81.  Each  division  of  the  composition 
should    be  dominated  by  one 


APPENDIX   A 


221 


The  Relations 

of  the 

Thoughts 
(Continued) 


main  thought,  and  to  that 
prime  thought  each  subordi- 
nate idea  should  definitely  con- 
tribute. 

82.  The  unity  of  each  thought-divi- 

sion must  be  preserved  by 
rigidly  excluding  everything 
that  does  not  build  it  up  into  a 
perfect  whole. 

83.  The    several    divisions — whether 

they  be  sentences,  chapters, 
sections,  or  volumes — must  fol- 
low each  other  progressively, 
each  growing  out  of  its  prede- 
cessor and  leading  to  its  suc- 
cessor, so  that  the  whole  series 
may  be  like  the  steps  of  a  stair- 
way. 

84.  The  transition  from  one  division 

to  another  must  be  smooth, 
natural  and  unforced. 


Entire 
Effect 


VI.    THE  WHOLE  COMPOSITION 

85.  Let  your  style  be  determined  by 

the  type  of  the  composition. 

86.  Do  not  sacrifice  earnestness,  in- 

dividuality, and  directness,  to 
gain  literary  finish;  you  really 
need  not. 


222  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

87.  Subordinate  each  part  of  the  com- 
positio 
whole. 


Entire  Effect 

(Continued)  position  to  the  effect  of  the 


APPENDIX  B 

POINTS  FOR  SELF-CRITICISM  IN  FICTION 
WRITING 

1.  Is  my  theme  clearly  reducible  to  a  single  brief 
expression? 

2 .  Is  my  theme  fresh,  or  treated  from  a  fresh  viewpoint? 

3.  Is  my  plot  clear,  progressive,  and  natural? 

4.  Is  the  complication  (main  crisis  in  the  struggle)  a 
real  one,  or  does  it  seem  artificial? 

5.  Is  the  outcome  natural,  yet  surprising? 

6.  Is  every  vital  action  well  motivated,  or  have  I 
simply  forced  things  to  happen  to  fit  my  plot  without 
suggesting  convincing  motives? 

7.  Have  I  introduced  any  useless  incidents,  delays  and 
digressions? 

8.  Are  there  enough  twists  to  keep  the  plot  from  being 
obvious? 

9.  Are  the  chief  characters  brought  out  prominently? 

10.  Is  the  dialogue  bright,  brisk,  natural,  suited  to  the 
characters? 

11.  Is  the  dialogue  commonplace? 

12.  Does  every  part  of  the  dialogue  actually  help  to 
develop  the  story? 

13.  Are  the  opening  and  closing  passages  well  suited  to 
the  style  of  story-telling  I  have  selected? 

14.  Does  the  setting  actually  serve  as  back-ground  for 
the  action,  or  have  I  used  it  chiefly  for  its  own  sake? 


224  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

15.  Have  I  used  any  needless  words? 

1 6.  Have  I  repeated  any  words  when  synonyms  might 
better  be  used? 

17.  Are  my  sentences  clear  and  grammatically  correct? 

1 8.  Have  I  used  a  good  variety  of  sentence  forms? 

19.  Does  each  paragraph  stand  out  as  a  little  composi- 
tion in  itself,  leading  up  to  a  climax  of  its  own,  and  does  it 
both  naturally  follow  the  preceding  paragraph  and  prepare 
for  the  succeeding  one? 

20.  Does  the  whole  story  drag  at  any  point,  or  is  the 
movement  consistently  rapid? 

21.  Is  the  tone  of  the  story  harmonious  throughout,  or 
does  it  shift  its  viewpoint? 

22.  Is  the  story  well  balanced,  or  is  one  part  sacrificed 
needlessly  to  help  the  other? 

23.  Is  the  story  long  enough  to  bring  out  the  plot  in  a 
well-rounded  manner? 

24.  Is  the  story  short  enough  to  make  it  compellingly 
interesting? 

25.  Does  the  story  leave  precisely  the  impression  I 
designed  that  it  should? 


APPENDIX  C 

Discriminations  in  the  Use  of  Words 

Cautionary  Note: —  Foreigners  who  are  not  well  ac- 
quainted with  English  are  often  led  into  laughable  errors 
by  relying  on  the  dictionary  or  a  book  of  synonyms.  Though 
in  a  lesser  degree,  this  is  sometimes  true  also  of  young 
writers.  It  should  be  remembered  that  the  tendency  of 
dictionary  makers  is  to  let  down  the  bars  for  every  new 
word,  or  every  new  meaning  for  an  old  word,  that  has  been 
used  either  widely  or  by  some  one  good  writer.  The  re- 
sults are  often  painful  to  a  lover  of  English  undefiled.  The 
fact  that  a  word  is  included  in  the  dictionary  as  having  a 
certain  meaning  does  not  mean  that  careful  writers  ap- 
prove it.  This  is  unfortunate,  but  true,  and  there  seems  no 
present  remedy  for  the  writer  but  to  be  not  too  ready  to 
use  new  words,  or  old  words  in  a  new  sense. 

In  using  any  word-book  it  should  be  kept  in  mind  also 
that  a  dictionary  must  treat  words  so  briefly  that  it  is 
impossible  to  show  all  the  twists  of  usage  which  in  certain 
circumstances  justify  the  use  of  a  word  in  a  given  sense, 
but  in  other  circumstances  do  not.  Many  words  have  a 
secondary  meaning,  and  even  several  more,  but  each  such 
subsidiary  meaning  is  likely  to  demand  a  special  manner  of 
usage  which  requires  consideration. 

Present  good  literary  usage,  then,  is  based  on  the  origin 
of  the  word,  its  usage  in  the  past  by  careful  writers,  what 
need  there  may  be  for  an  expansion  of  or  change  in  its 


226  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

former  meaning,  and  how  widely — and  wisely — it  is  used 
by  standard  writers  today.  A  safe  rule  is  this:  When  in 
doubt,  use  a  word  of  whose  meaning  you  are  certain. 

We  speak  about  a  peddler  who  carries  around  his 
pack. 

If  you  write  "the  above  paragraph"  it  may  not  prove  to 
be  higher  up  on  the  page.  Say  foregoing;  or  preceding,  if 
the  paragraph  goes  immediately  before. 

Do  not  say  above  for  more  than — as  "above  a  thousand 
people." 

We  accept  presents — we  do  not  accept  of  them. 

It  is  pompous  to  say  "He  accepted  a  position" — as 
though  in  doing  so  he  conferred  a  favor. 

When  we  have  accomplished  our  task  we  have  attained 
success. 

An  action  usually  consists  of  a  series  of  acts.  Use  act  for 
a  single  deed. 

Contractions  like  ad  for  advertisement  do  not  belong  in 
good  prose. 

In  good  usage,  a  blow  is  not  administered,  but  dealt. 

The  price  of  admission  procures  admittance. 

A  thing  may  be  aggravated — made  worse — only  after  it 
has  been  made  bad.  Scratching  irritates  the  skin — more 
scratching  aggravates  the  irritated  surface. 

Omit  of  in  "all  of  his  inheritance." 

Never  write  alright  for  all  right. 

To  allude  to  is  not  to  mention  or  name,  but  to  refer  to 
indirectly. 

One  man  alone  is  not  the  same  as  one  man  only. 


APPENDIX  C  227 

An  amateur  is  not  necessarily  a  novice,  who  is  new  to  the 
position. 

Amid  is  poetic;  amidst  is  the  prose  form. 

Do  not  use  and  who,  or  and  which,  unless  the  same  rel- 
ative pronoun  has  been  used  before  in  the  same  sentence. 

Prefer  more  definite  connectives  to  the  indiscriminate 
use  of  and.  But,  as,  whereas,  while,  then,  since,  for,  and 
because  are  good  words. 

Antecedents  mean  things,  or  events,  and  not  persons, 
that  have  gone  before. 

Having  anticipated  her  act,  he  prevented  it.  He  expected 
a  visit. 

He  was  anxious  about  his  father's  health,  so  he  was 
eager  to  go  to  see  him. 

Do  not  use  any  place  for  anywhere. 

In  simple  English,  arrival  and  coming  are  better  than 
advent. 

Write  artist  for  one  skilled  in  his  art,  not  for  an  artisan 
trained  in  his  craft. 

A  man  usually  is  an  aspirant  for  office  before  he  becomes 
a  candidate. 

At  length  means  after  a  time;  at  last  means  finally,  and 
suggests  that  difficulties  have  been  overcome. 

An  audience  hears  a  lecture,  the  spectators  see  a  perform- 
ance, and  a  congregation  gathers  for  some  special  purpose, 
such  as  at  a  church  service. 

Use  author  and  poet  instead  of  authoress  and  poetess. 

An  avocation  is  a  side  pursuit;  a  vocation  is  a  regular 
calling. 

If  we  avoid  danger  we  may  avert — turn  aside — accidents. 


228  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

Aware  refers  to  things  external  to  us;  conscious,  to 
sensations  and  thoughts  within  us. 

Balance  is  a  term  in  accountancy,  and  not  a  substitute 
for  remainder  or  rest.  Do  not  say  "the  balance  of  the 
day." 

Say  between  two,  but  among  several. 

Say,  bursty  not  bursted. 

Bogus  is  colloquial  for  fraudulent,  or  counterfeit. 

By  any  manner  of  means  is  bad  English;  by  any  means 
is  good. 

Do  not  say  "He  is  a  shoemaker  by  trade" — by  trade  is 
superfluous. 

Calligraphy  means  beautiful  writing,  hence  it  cannot  be 
bad. 

Capacity  is  a  passive  quality,  capability  is  active.  The 
capable  mechanic  made  a  tub  of  large  capacity. 

Do  not  use  caption  for  heading. 

A  casualty  implies  accident,  hence  it  is  not  synonymous 
with  deatht  though  a  casualty  may  result  in  death. 

Do  not  confuse  character  with  reputation. 

A  man  claims  that  to  which  he  has  a  real  or  an  alleged 
right,  but  he  asserts  that  a  thing  is  true. 

A  coffin  is  not  necessarily  a  casket.  Undertakers  recog- 
nize a  difference. 

To  conclude  is  to  come  to  a  decision  after  consideration, 
but  to  close  is  to  end. 

Condign  punishment  is  deserved  punishment — it  does 
not  imply  severe. 

Do  not  say  that  a  marriage  was  consummated  when  you 
merely  mean  that  a  couple  were  married. 


APPENDIX  C  229 

Continuous  means  without  interruption,  whereas  con- 
tinual signifies  being  constantly  renewed. 

When  Congress  is  convoked — called  together — for  a 
special  session  by  the  President,  the  members  convene — 
come  together. 

Cortege  is  more  pompous  than  procession. 

Credible  is  worthy  of  belief;  creditable  is  worthy  of  credit. 

Crime  is  a  violation  of  a  statute;  sin  is  a  violation  of  a 
law  of  God;  vice  is  a  serious  moral  wrong. 

Deceased  is  a  euphemism  for  dead.  It  does  not  really 
soften  an  idea  to  use  a  high-flown  word  for  a  simple  one. 
The  same  is  true  of  demise  and  death. 

Strictly,  to  decimate  the  ranks  of  an  army  in  battle  is  to 
kill  or  wound  one  in  ten. 

The  adjective  decisive  means  deciding  with  finality,  as 
"a  decisive  victory;"  decided  means  strong,  firm. 

Demean  signifies  to  behave;  bemean  means  to  degrade. 

Better  not  use  depot  for  passenger  station,  or  station  for 
freight  depot. 

Directly  refers  to  a  route;  immediately  refers  to  time. 

Dirt  is  filth,  and  not  necessarily  earthy  soil,  gravel,  and 
the  like. 

Distinguish  between  discomfort  and  discomfit,  which 
means  to  defeat  utterly. 

Divers  means  sundry,  several;   diverse  means  different. 

Do  not  speak  of  an  "eminent  divine" — say  clergyman, 
or  minister.  If  he  is  in  charge  of  a  church  he  may  be  called 
a  pastor  (shepherd) ;  some  churches  use  the  term  rector. 

Do  not  say  divine  service,  but  religious  service. 

Do  not  confuse  dock  with  pier,  or  wharf. 


230  WRITING  FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

Do  not  donate,  but  give — simple  words  are  best. 

Each  is  singular — Each  of  us  has  his  faults. 

The  elder  of  two  brothers;  John  is  older  than  Tom. 

"Elegant  weather"  is  ridiculous — elegant  means  refined, 
polished,  nicely  discriminating. 

Else  should  not  be  followed  by  but.    "Else  than"  is 
proper,  "Else  that"  has  a  different  meaning. 
.  Enthuse  is  not  a  recognized  verb — it  is  colloquial. 

Water  is  essential  to  the  body  because  it  is  a  part  of  its 
make  up — an  essence;  water  is  necessary  to  man,  because 
he  needs  it. 

An  event  is  a  large  matter  which  may  include  several 
incidents. 

Every  is  singular  and  quite  different  in  meaning  from 
all.  Say  "  Every  one  is  " — not  are. 

Evidently  means  plainly,  therefore  really;  apparently 
means  seemingly. 

Exceptional  is  unusual;  Exceptionable  means  open  to 
exception  or  objection. 

An  exhibit  is  something  shown  in  an  exhibition. 

Use  farther  when  you  refer  to  distance,  but  further  with 
the  meaning  of  addition,  as  "He  went  farther,"  "He  said 
further." 

A  female  is  not  necessarily  a  woman. 

Feminine  applies  to  mental  and  spiritual  characteristics, 
female  to  sex. 

Fetch  means  to  go  and  bring — not  merely  to  bring. 

Write  first,  and  not  firstly,  even  when  followed  by 
secondly. 

He  fled  from  the  enemy  when  he  flew  in  his  aeroplane. 


APPENDIX  C  231 

Confine  former  and  latter  to  a  group  of  two  only. 

One  may  found  a  church  yet  not  succeed  in  establishing  it. 

Funds  are  not  money  in  general  but  moneys  set  apart  in 
a  specific  way. 

Do  not  say  funny  when  you  mean  strange. 

Generally  means  very  widely;  usually  means  as  a  matter 
of  custom  or  use. 

Getting  to  be  is  not  so  good  as  becoming. 

Write  "He  was  graduated,"  not  "He  graduated." 

A  great  man  need  not  be  a  big  one — great  is  a  badly  over- 
worked word. 

Do  not  use  groom  for  bridegroom. 

Wheat  is  grown,  potatoes  are  raised,  boys  are  reared,  and 
horses  are  bred. 

Say  "He  was  hanged" — not  hung. 

Do  not  say  "a  healthy  ocupation" — say  wholesome,  or 
healthful. 

Henceforth  means  from  this  time  on;  hereafter  means  at 
some  unspecified  time  in  the  future. 

Write  hillside,  not  side-hill. 

Do  not  say,  "How  ever  could  you  do  it?"  but  "How  could 
you  ever  do  it?" 

Hurry  implies  disorderly  effort  after  speed. 

One  may  be  hurt  without  being  harmed. 

Do  not  confuse  idea  with  opinion — which  is  formed 
after  consideration. 

We  may  be  ill  without  being  sick — nauseated. 

Do  not  say  illy  for  ill.  Ill  is  an  adverb  and  needs  no 
finally. 

In  the  charge  of  does  not  mean  in  charge  of. 


232  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

To  inaugurate  implies  a  much  more  formal  ceremony 
than  to  begin. 

Do  not  use  individual  as  a  substantive  when  you  mean 
merely  man,  or  woman. 

Initial  is  more  pompous  than  first. 

Insignificant  means  small  only  in  a  derogatory  sense. 

Gold  is  virtually  insoluble;  the  problem  is  unsokable. 

Integrity  rightly  applies  to  the  whole  character,  while 
honesty  applies  to  one  phase  of  it. 

Interment  is  more  pompous  than  burial. 

Do  not  say  it  would  seem  for  it  seems. 

She  wore  the  jewels  she  had  bought  from  the  shop  that 
sold  jewelry. 

Do  not  say  a  juvenile  when  you  mean  a  child. 

Say  this  kind,  that  kind,  these  kinds,  or  those  kinds — never 
these  kind,  or  those  kind. 

Do  not  say  kind  of  a  for  kind  of.  To  say,  "  This  is  a  new 
kind  of  a  store"  is  ridiculous  because  there  can  only  be  one 
kind  of  one  store. 

The  late  is  superfluous  in  "The  widow  of  the  late  William 
Harcourt." 

In  the  expression  later  on,  on  is  redundant. 

Use  lay  for  placing  a  thing,  and  lie  for  reclining. 

Better  use  lengthwise  than  lengthways. 

Do  not  write  less  when  you  mean  fewer — less  refers  to 
quantity,  fewer  to  number. 

She  let  the  boy  alone  after  his  brother  had  left. 

Prefer  lighted  to  lit. 

Likely  refers  to  any  probability,  liable  implies  an  un- 
pleasant probability. 


APPENDIX  C  233 

Do  not  say  "I  feel  like  I  was  going  to  be  sick" — say,  "I 
feel  as  if  I  were  going  to  be  sick." 

Do  not  say  limb,  but  definitely  leg,  or  arm. 

Limited  does  not  mean  small,  nor  does  it  mean  inade- 
quate— though  a  limited  supply  may  be  both  small  and  in- 
adequate; it  might  be  large  yet  inadequate. 

Distinguish  low-priced  from  cheap. 

Lurid  means  of  a  ghastly  hue,  not  bright  red. 

Luxuriant  means  very  abundant;  luxurious  means  with 
rich  comfort. 

Distinguish  between  mad  and  angry. 

Do  not  confuse  majority  with  plurality. 

Do  not  use  majority  for  most,  as  "The  majority  of 
people."  "The  majority  of  the  people"  may  imply  a 
vote. 

Even  intelligent  people  sometimes  confuse  marital  with 
martial — sometimes  naturally,  though  not  justifiably. 

For  the  distinction  between  masculine  and  male,  see  that 
between  feminine  and  female. 

A  meet  refers  to  a  gathering  for  sport,  while  a  meeting  has 
a  general  application. 

Do  not  use  most  for  almost,  as,  "The  flowers  are  most 
all  gone. 

Do  not  write  murderous  when  you  mean  deadly,  or 
dangerous — as,  "a  deadly  weapon." 

There  is  such  a  thing  as  mutual  friendship,  but  not  a 
mutual  friend,  as  mutual  implies  a  giving  and  a  taking,  and 
not  merely  possessing  in  common. 

Negligence  is  a  failure  to  comply  with  a  rule  or  custom; 
neglect  is  a  failure  to  act. 


234  WRITING  FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

It  is  a  vulgarism  to  say  that  the  automobile  could  not 
negotiate  the  hill. 

Negro  is  good  English,  darky  is  colloquial. 

Nice  is  as  badly  overworked  a  word  as  grand. 

Nicely  does  not  mean  well,  but  neatly,  finely,  delicately. 

A  noise  is  an  unpleasantly  loud  sound. 

Do  not  use  nothing  like  instead  of  not  nearly — "She  is 
nothing  like  as  tall  as  her  sister"  is  incorrect. 

A  part  is  a  section  of  the  whole;  a  portion  is  a  part  of  a 
whole  assigned  to  or  taken  by  someone — as,  "He  ate  his 
portion." 

Use  part  in  preference  to  role. 

Do  not  use  party  for  person,  or  people. 

Patron  is  often  pompously  used  for  customer.  A  cus- 
tomer gives  value  for  value,  while  a  patron  confers  favors. 

Do  not  write  people  when  you  mean  merely  family,  or 
relatives. 

Do  not  say,  "He  earns  $3.00  per  day" — a  day  is  good 
English;  per  is  an  accountant's  term. 

Perspicuity  means  clearness,  as  of  statement;  perspica- 
city is  the  quality  of  being  quick  in  discernment. 

Arsenic  is  poisonous,  a  rattlesnake  is  venomous. 

Do  not  use  posted  for  informed. 

Practically  means  in  a  practical  way,  actually,  really, 
and  is  a  stronger  word  than  virtually.  "The  contest  is 
virtually  over"  means  that  the  contest  is  over  in  effect, 
though  not  in  fact. 

When  you  say,  "She  looks  prettily"  you  describe  the 
manner  of  her  gazing — not  what  you  mean.  "She  looks 
pretty1'  refers  to  her  appearance.  Verbs  that  signify  doing 


APPENDIX  C  235 

take  adverbs,  verbs  that  signify  appearance  take  adjec- 
tives. 

The  free  use  of  preside — as  "presiding  at  the  organ" — 
is  pompous. 

Preventative  is  a  corruption  of  preventive. 

One  who  professes  does  not  necessarily  pretend — one 
may  honestly  profess  his  intentions. 

A  profession,  like  law,  or  medicine,  is  not  a  business. 

Proof  implies  more  than  either  evidence  or  testimony. 
Evidence  is  testimony  which  has  been  admitted  in  evidence 
by  the  court.  If  it  adequately  supports  the  point  raised, 
it  furnishes  proof. 

Proportion  has  reference  to  form;  dimension  means  size. 

Proven  should  be  used  only  in  a  legal  sense — proved  is  the 
word. 

Quite  is  often  misused  as  a  synonym  for  moderately, 
when  it  really  means  entirely. 

Rarely  ever  is  a  corruption  of  rarely,  if  ever. 

Do  not  use  real  for  really,  or  very. 

Many  men  receive  injuries  and  then  sustain  them  badly. 

We  recollect  when  we  recall  what  has  been  forgotten;  we 
remember  only  that  which  is  present  in  memory — to  re- 
member is  an  automatic  process,  to  recollect  is  a  conscious 
act. 

A  region  is  an  indefinite  term,  section  is  definite. 

Do  not  confuse  regular  with  natural. 

Remains  is  a  euphemism  for  corpse,  or  body. 

To  remit  means  to  send  or  give  back;  to  send  does  not 
necessarily  have  this  meaning. 

A  country  may  repudiate  a  debt,  a  merchant  may  reject 


236  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

a  claim,  a  father  may  disown  a  child,  a  judge  may  deny  a 
petition,  a  governor  may  refuse  a  pardon. 

Residence  is  more  pompous  than  home,  or  house]  just  as 
reside  is  stilted. 

When  you  write  retire  you  do  not  express  the  idea  of 
going  to  bed.  One  may  retire  by  merely  going  to  one's 
apartments  to  be  alone. 

We  retrieve  what  was  lost,  but  redeem  by  paying  a 
ransom. 

Never  use  Reverend  as  a  proper  noun,  nor  reverend  as  an 
adjective  before  a  proper  noun  unless  you  precede  it  with 
either  a  or  the.  It  is  incorrect  to  write:  " Good  morning, 
Reverend, '  '  or  "  He  met  Reverend  Hollis. "  It  is  correct  to 
write:  "The  Reverend  Mr.  Hollis,"  or  "The  Reverend 
James  Hollis,"  or  "The  Reverend  Dr.  Hollis,"  or  "The 
Reverend  Mother  Superior." 

It  is  bad  form  to  say  run  a  business  when  you  mean 
manage,  or  conduct. 

Omit  the  final  5  and  say  toward,  forward,  backward,  after- 
ward, upward,  downward,  inward,  outward,  homeward, 
earthward,  heavenward. 

Do  not  use  say  when  you  mean  voice — "He  had  no  say 
in  the  matter." 

There  is  no  such  word  as  second-handed — say  second- 
hand. 

In  self -confessed,  self  is  superfluous. 

Sensation  is  physical,  emotion  is  of  the  soul. 

Do  not  use  settle  for  merely  pay — a  settlement  ends  a 
matter  that  has  been  in  dispute.  Not  all  payments  are 
made  in  settlement. 


APPENDIX  C  237 

Sewerage  is  a  system  of  sewers;  sewage  refers  to  the  con- 
tents of  the  sewers. 

"He  had  no  show"  is  colloquial — use  chance,  opportu- 
nity, opening. 

To  side  is  colloquial,  to  agree  is  correct. 

Never  say  some  better  for  somewhat  better. 

Specific  means  definite,  special  means  apart  from  the 
usual. 

To  state  implies  saying'  a  thing  formally  and  defi- 
nitely. 

One  stays  at  a  hotel — he  does  not  stop  there  unless  he 
does  not  leave  the  place,  or  makes  a  stop  there,  not  as  a 
guest. 

Omit  still  from  still  continues. 

Not  all  students  are  scholars — learned  folk.  Neither  is 
a  pupil  necessarily  a  scholar,  or  even  a  student — one  who 
applies  himself  to  learning. 

There  is  no  such  verb  as  suicided. 

Use  Sunday  when  you  mean  the  day  of  the  week.  The 
Sabbath  is  a  religious  institution.  Some  regard  Saturday 
as  the  Sabbath. 

Survive  is  a  transitive  verb.  A  man  does  not  merely  sur- 
vive, but  survives  his  comrade,  or  survives  defeat. 

Better  not  say  taken  ill  for  became  ill. 

A  wedding  takes  place,  an  earthquake  occurs — the  one  is 
planned,  the  other  is  not. 

Beware  of  the  double  that  in  long  sentences:  "I  told 
him  that  when  he  came  back  to  the  barn,  after  having 
driven  Tom  to  town,  that  (needless)  he  should  let  me 
know." 


238  WRITING  FOR  THE   MAGAZINES 

To  transpire  does  not  mean  to  happen,  to  occur,  but  to 
leak  out,  to  become  known. 

Do  not  say  "he  tried  the  experiment" —  say  he  experi- 
mented, or  he  made  the  experiment;  try  is  implied  in  ex- 
perimented. 

Do  not  say  try  and  go,  but  try  to  go. 

Do  not  say  two  first,  but  first  two — only  one  can  be  first. 

Say  underhand,  not  underhanded. 

Do  not  say  very  unique — a  thing  that  is  unique  is  alone 
in  its  class — the  word  cannot  be  compared. 

Unkempt  means  uncombed — not  merely  disorderly,  as  of 
the  dress. 

Do  not  write  unwell  for  ill. 

A  vacant  house  may  not  be  empty. 

A  thing  that  is  valuable — of  value— is  not  always  valued. 

Various  kinds  is  redundant  because  more  than  one  kind 
implies  variety.  Say  several  kinds. 

Venal  is  purchasable,  mercenary;  venial  is  excusable, 
as  "A  venial  fault." 

Verbal — is  words — is  not  necessarily  oral — by  word  of 
mouth. 

In  " Philadelphia  and  its  vicinity" — its  is  needless. 

Do  not  confuse  view-point  with  standpoint. 

Vulgar  does  not  mean  indecent,  but  common,  coarse,  of 
the  mob. 

Do  not  use  ways  for  way — As,  "A  long  ways  from  the 
office." 

Do  not  say  from  whence — whence  means  from  where. 

Whip  does  not  mean  defeat. 

With  a  view  to  is  not  the  same  as  with  a  view  of. 


APPENDIX  C  239 

Without  is  not  a  synonym  for  unless:  "I  will  not  go 
without  you"  is  correct;  "without  you  go  with  me"  is 
not. 

To  witness  is  to  see  and  then  to  report. 

It  is  usually  better  to  say  woman  than  lady. 

It  is  colloquial  to  say  that  "Mr  Wright  is  worth  a  mil- 
lion"— his  fortune  is  a  million,  he  has  a  million,  etc. 

Say,  "The  fabric  is  woven" — not  wove. 


APPENDIX  D 

A  SHORT  READING  LIST 

A  well-equipped  public  library  will  contain  plenty  of 
books  on  the  craftsmanship  of  writing  which  will  prove 
helpful,  whereas  the  private  library  can  usually  give  room 
to  only  a  few.  The  purpose  of  this  short  list  is  to  name  sev- 
eral standard  works  in  each  of  the  several  classes  so  as  to 
give  the  writer  who  consults  it  some  freedom  of  choice. 
The  list  could  be  largely  expanded  without  lowering  the 
standard  of  quality. 

"The  Writer's  Library,"  in  which  the  present  work  is 
included,  contains  treatises  on  all  phases  of  the  writer's 
craft.  A  complete  list  is  to  be  found  on  one  of  the  front 
fly  leaves  of  this  book. 

THE  STUDY  or  WORDS 

Good  English,  John  Louis  Haney.  Egerton  Press, 
Philadelphia.  XI  +  244  pp.  75C  net1.  A  large  number  of 
helpful  discriminations  in  the  use  of  words  and  express- 
ions. 

The  Verbalist,  Alfred  Ayres,  D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  New 
York.  337  pp.  $1.25.  Similar  to  the  foregoing,  but  also 
containing  definitions  and  examples  of  figures  of  speech, 

Words  and  their  Uses,  Richard  Grant  White.  Houghton 
Mifflin  &  Co.,  Boston.  XX  +  439  pp.  $2.00.  A  vast 
deal  of  scholarly  yet  readable  material  on  the  subject. 

1 "  Net"  always  means  postage  extra. 


APPENDIX  D  241 

ENGLISH  GRAMMAR 

A  Working  Grammar  of  the  English  Language,  James  C. 
Fernald.  Funk  and  Wagnalls,  New  York.  VIII  +  333 
pp.  $1.50  net.  A  useful  work — as  untechnical  as  a  gram- 
mar can  well  be. 

Connectives  of  English  Speech,  James  C.  Fernald.  Funk 
and  Wagnalls,  New  York.  X  +  324  pp.  $1.50  net.  A 
thorough  treatment  of  prepositions,  conjunctions,  relative 
pronouns,  relative  or  conjunctive  adverbs,  and  introduc- 
tory particles,  with  many  illustrations  of  their  uses. 

The  Structure  of  the  English  Sentence,  Lillian  G.  Kimball. 
American  Book  Co.,  New  York.  IV  +  244  pp.  75c. 
Clearly  explains  and  illustrates  all  varieties  of  sentences. 

A  Primer  of  Essentials  in  Grammar  and  Rhetoric,  Mari- 
etta Knight.  American  Book  Co.,  New  York.  64  pp.  2$c. 
A  good  condensation. 

COMPOSITION  AND  RHETORIC 

Talks  on  Writing  English,  Arlo  Bates.  Houghton, 
Mifflin  &  Co.,  Boston.  First  Series,  IV  +  322  pp. ;  Second 
Series,  254  pp.  $1.30  each.  Full  of  inspiring  and  practical 
help  on  all  phases  of  prose  writing. 

English  Composition  in  Theory  and  Practice,  H.  S.  Can- 
by  and  others.  Macmillan  Co.,  New  York.  XVI  +465 
pp.  $1.25.  Every  phase  of  composition  admirably  taught, 

The  Working  Principles  of  Rhetoric,  John  Franklin 
Genung.  Ginn  &  Co.,  New  York.  XIV  -f  676  pp.  $1.40. 
The  fullest  and  best  rhetoric  published. 


242  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

TECHNICAL  WRITING 

The  Theory  and  Practice  of  Technical  Writing,  Samuel 
Chandler  Earle.  Macmillan  Co.,  New  York.  301  pp., 
with  illustrations.  $1.25  net.  A  notable  treatise. 

FICTION  IN  GENERAL 

A  Study  of  Prose  Fiction,  Bliss  Perry.  Houghton,  Mif- 
flin  &  Co.,  Boston.  VIII  +  398  pp.,  $1.25.  An  excellent 
discussion  of  all  phases  of  the  subject. 

Materials  and  Methods  of  Fiction,  Clayton  Hamilton. 
Baker  &  Taylor  Co.,  New  York.  XXIII  +  228pp.  $1.50 
net.  Similar  in  scope  to  the  foregoing,  but  somewhat  less 
valuable. 

THE  NOVEL 

The  Technique  of  the  Novel,  Charles  F.  Home.  Harper 
Bros.,  New  York.  X  -f  285  pp.  $1.50.  An  admirable 
discussion  of  a  constructive  sort. 

THE  SHORT-STORY 

Short  Stories  in  the  Making,  Robert  Wilson  Neal.  Oxford 
University  Press,  New  York.  XIV  +  269  pp.  6oc  net. 
A  helpful  treatise,  with  special  light  thrown  on  the  psycho- 
logical phases  of  short-story  composition. 

Writing  the  Short-Story,  J.  Berg  Esenwein.  Hinds, 
Hayden  and  Eldredge,  New  York.  XIV  +  441  pp.  $1.25. 
The  history,  nature,  forms,  parts,  and  writing  of  the  short- 
story,  with  many  illustrative  passages. 

The  Art  of  Story  Writing,  J.  Berg  Esenwein  and  Mary 
D.  Chambers.  Home  Correspondence  School,  Springfield, 
Mass.  XI +211  pp.  $1.35.  The  anecdote,  ancient  fable, 


APPENDIX  D  243 

modern  fable,  ancient  parable,  modern  parable,  early  tale, 
modern  tale,  sketch  and  short-story  fully  treated,  with 
complete  examples  of  each. 

Studying  the  Short-Story,  J.  Berg  Esenwein.  Hinds, 
Hayden  and  Eldredge,  New  York.  XXXII  -f  438  pp. 
$1.25.  Sixteen  short-story  masterpieces,  complete,  with 
very  full  explanations,  biographies  and  critical  and 
analytical  notes. 

The  Best  Short  Stories  of  1915,  Edited  by  Edward  J. 
O'Brien.  Small,  Maynard  &  Co.,  Boston.  IX  +  386  pp. 
$1.50  net.  An  interesting  collection  of  twenty  "best" 
magazine  stories,  complete,  together  with  very  full  tables 
of  comparison,  and  an  index  of  authors  and  stories  pub- 
lished during  1914 — 1915. 

POETRY 

Introduction  to  Poetry,  Raymond  M.  Alden.  Henry 
Holt  &  Co.,  New  York.  XVI  +  371  pp.  $1.25  net. 
Complete  and  scholarly. 

English  Verse,  Raymond  M.  Alden.  Henry  Holt  &  Co., 
New  York.  XIV +  459  pp.  $1.25  net.  A  fine  work,  giv- 
ing specimens  illustrating  the  principles  and  history  of 
versification. 

The  Art  of  Versification,  J.  Berg  Esenwein  and  Mary 
Eleanor  Roberts.  Home  Correspondence  School,  Spring- 
field, Mass.  XII  +  330  pp.  $1.62.  A  complete  treat- 
ment of  the  theory  of  poetry  and  the  art  of  verse  making, 
including  an  exhaustive  chapter  on  Light  Verse.  The  new 
edition  contains  a  chapter  on  vers  libre. 


244  WRITING  FOR  THE  MAGAZINES 

DRAMA 

Play  Making,  William  Archer.  Small,  Maynard  &  Co., 
Boston.  419  pp.  $2.00  net.  An  interesting  and  thought- 
ful discussion. 

Writing  and  Selling  a  Play,  Fanny  Cannon.  Henry 
Holt  &  Co.,  New  York.  VI  +  321  pp.  $1.50  A  practical 
handbook. 

The  Technique  of  Play  Writing,  Charlton  Andrews. 
Home  Correspondence  School,  Springfield,  Mass.  XXIX 
+  269  pp.  $1.62.  A  brilliant  and  authoritative  work- 
ing manual  that  leaves  no  ground  uncovered. 

HUMOR 

Laughter,  Henri  Bergson.  Macmillan  Co.,  New  York. 
VI  +  200  pp.  $1.25  net.  The  best  analysis  of  the  subject. 


GENERAL  INDEX 


Names  of  writers  and  publishers  are  printed  in  large 
and  small  capitals,  names  of  magazines  and  newspapers 
are  in  italics,  titles  of  published  material  are  quoted,  and 
general  subjects  are  set  in  "Roman,"  or  plain,  type. 


Accessory       and       Garage 

Journal,  14. 
Accident,  158. 
Accuracy,  44,  45,  56. 
Acetylene  Journal,  14. 
Action,  167,  223,  224. 
Adaptability,  198. 
ADDISON,  JOSEPH,  2. 
ADE,  GEORGE,  117. 
Adventure,  146,  156. 
Advertising  magazines,  14, 

47- 
Agents'    and    Mail    Order 

Dealers9  Magazine,  14. 
Agriculture — See  Farming. 
Ainslee's  Magazine,  n,  147, 

156. 

Aircraft,  15. 

ALDEN,  RAYMOND  M.,  243. 

"Alice     in     Wonderland," 

134- 

Alliteration,  217. 
All-Story  Weekly,  147,  156. 
ALTEMUS  Co.,  HENRY,  99. 
Amateur    Photographer's 

Weekly,  13. 


AMERICAN  BOOK  COM- 
PANY, 241. 

American  Boy,  17. 

American  Building  Asso- 
ciation News,  1 8. 

American  Clubwoman,  The, 

17- 

American  Cookery,  17. 
American  Economist,  14. 
American  Education,  12. 
American  Exporter,  14. 
American  Forestry,  13. 
American  Fruits,  13. 
American  Magazine,  3,  63, 

74,87,  147,  151, ,156- 
American     Magazine     and 

Historical  Chronicle,  3. 
A  merican  Municipalities,  1 8. 
"  American  Note-Book,"  3  7. 
American  Penman,  75. 
American  Poultry  Journal, 

13- 

American  Primary  Teacher, 

12. 

American  Red  Cross  Maga- 
zine, 1 6. 

American  School  Board 
Journal,  12. 


245 


246 


INDEX 


American  Sheep  Breeder  and 

Grower,  13. 
ANDREWS,  CHARLTON,  162, 

244. 
ANDREWS,  MARY  R.  S.,  152, 

153- 
Anecdote,    The,    100-103, 

114,  115,  116,  145. 
Antithesis,  99. 
ANTRIM,  MINNA  THOMAS, 

99. 

APPLETON,  D.,  &  Co.,  240. 
Apprenticeship,  43. 
ARCHER,  WILLIAM,  243. 
Argonaut,  The,  109. 
Argosy,  The,  120,  126,  127, 

147,  156. 

ARISTOPHANES,  139. 
ARISTOTLE,  93. 
Arizona,  17. 
Army   and   Navy  Journal, 

x?' 

Articles,  54-68,  69-91,  113, 

114. 

Art  magazines,  12. 

"Art  of  Public  Speaking, 
The,"  30,  32,  33. 

"Art  of  Story  Writing, 
The,"  145,  242. 

"Art  of  Versification,  The," 
119,  128,  129,  243. 

Associated  Sunday  Maga- 
zines, 151. 

Association  Men,  15. 

Atlantic  Monthly,  n,  66,  76, 
86,  120,  127,  147. 

"At  the  Lattice,"  129. 

Avocational  magazines,  13. 

AUSTIN,  ALFRED,  129. 


Authors'  League  of  America, 

197,  207. 
AYERS,  ALFRED,  240. 

B 

"Bab  Ballads,"  134. 

Baby,  17. 

BAILEY,  TEMPLE,  152. 

BAKER  &  TAYLOR  Co.,  242. 

BAKER,  Walter  A.,  163. 

Balance,  224. 

"Ballad  of  Bedlam,"  136. 

"Ballad    of    Bouillabaisse, 

The,"  129. 
BANGS,    JOHN    KENDRICK, 

131, 141. 

Baseball  Magazine,  14. 
"Bat,  The,"  132. 
BATES,  ARLO,  241. 
Bellman,  The,  87,  147,  151. 
BERGSON,  HENRI,  93,  100, 

244. 
"Best  Short  Stories  of  1915, 

The,"  150-153,  243. 
"Beware,"  129. 
Black  Cat,  The,  147. 
Blue  Book,  The,  156. 
Blunders,  106,  107. 
Blunders  in  English,  225- 

239- 
Bookman,  The,  n,  74,  87, 

120,  127. 
Books  News   Monthly,    74, 

156. 

Book  reviewing,  176. 
Books,  Use  of,  31-35,  240. 
Boston  American,  6. 
Boston  Transcript,  6,  149. 


INDEX 


247 


Bowler's  Journal,  15. 

Boy's  Life,  17. 

Boy's  World,  16. 

Breeders'  Gazette,  13. 

Breezy  Stories,  156. 

BRENTON,  NICHOLAS,  78, 79. 

Brevity,  51,56,84,  85,  114. 

BROOKS,  PHILLIPS,  98. 

BROWN,  KATHARINE  HOL- 
LAND, 152,  153. 

BROWNING,  ELIZABETH 
BARRETT,  139. 

BROWNING,   ROBERT,    162. 

Buffalo  Journal,  109. 

Bull,  The,  no. 

Bulletin  of  the  Authors' 
League  of  America,  197. 
Burlesque,  132. 

BURNS,  ROBERT,  139. 

BURROUGHS,  JOHN,  31. 

BURT,  MAXWELL  STRUTH- 
ERS,  152. 

"Business"  in  the  play,  168. 

Business  magazines  —  See 
Commerce  magazines. 

Business  Woman's  Maga- 
zine ,  17. 


Camera,  Use  of,  47. 
Canada   Monthly,    76,    87, 

120,  147. 

CANBY,  HENRY  S.,  241. 
CANNON,  FANNY,  244. 
CARLYLE,  THOMAS,  32. 
CARNAGEY,  DALE,  30. 
CARROLL,  LEWIS,  132,  134, 

135. 


Catholic  School  Journal,  12. 
Catholic  World,  15,  74. 
CAVE,  EDWARD,  2. 
Century  Magazine,  75,  86, 
121,  126,  127,  144,  147, 

151*  156- 
CHAMBERS,  MARY  D.,  145, 

242. 
Character,    113,    115,    158, 

167,  223. 

CHAUCER,  GEOFFREY,  132. 
Chef  and  Steward,  14. 
Chess  Forum,  15. 
Chicago  Journal,  107. 
Child-themes  in  magazine 

poetry,  124. 

Children's  magazines,  17. 
Christian  Endeavor  World, 

15,87,88,  121,147. 
Christian  Herald,  15. 
Clearness,    210,    211,    213, 

215. 
"Clerke    of    Ye    Wethere, 

Ye,"  132. 

CLEVELAND,  GROVER,  71. 
Climax,  83, 84, 114, 154,224. 
Closings — See  Endings. 
COBB,  IRVIN,  117. 
Coherence,  215,  216. 
Coincidence,  158. 
COLERIDGE,  S.  T.,  139. 
COLLIER,  WILLIAM,  101. 
Collier's  Weekly,  n,  61,  65, 

73,  75,  86,  121,  147,  151. 
Comic,  The — See  Humor. 
"Comic  History  of  the 

United  States,"  108. 
Commerce  magazines,   14, 

52. 


248 


INDEX 


"Compensation,"  100. 
Composition  and  Rhetoric, 

241. 
Compression,  56,  114,  122, 

157- 

Comrade,  The,  16. 
"  Connectives    of    English 

Speech,"  241. 

CONNOLLY,  JAMES  B.,  153. 
Contracts,  207. 
Contrast,  113. 
Conversation,   31,   45,   46. 

See  Dialogue. 
Cooperation,  14. 
Cornell  Widow,  no,  in. 
Cosmopolitan  Magazine,  77, 

86,  88,  121,  146,  156. 
Country  Gentleman,  The,  13. 
Country  Life  in  America, 

17,  75,  87,  88. 
Countryside  Magazine,  75. 
COWPER,  JOHN,  141. 
Cult,  cause  and  organiza- 
tion magazines,  16. 
Cupid's  Columns,  18. 
Current  events  magazines, 

6. 
Current  Opinion,  5,  n,  64, 

65,  161,  165,  166. 

D 

Delineator,  The,  75,  87,  121, 

147,  151,  156,  157. 
DENISON  &  Co.,  T.  S.,  163. 
Description,  115. 
Designer,  The,  87,  121,  127, 

147,  156. 
Dialect  humor,  131. 


Dialogue,  114,  157,  158, 
159,  161,  167,168,223. 

DICK  &  FITZGERALD,  163. 

Diction,  140,  141,  209,  210, 
225-239. 

Didactic  poems,  127. 

Digests,  5. 

Digests  of  principles  of 
writing:  diction,  209, 
210,  225-239;  drama, 
166-168;  fiction,  158, 
159,  223,  224;  poetry, 
127,  128;  prose,  209- 
222. 

Directness,  56. 

DISRAELI,  BENJAMIN,  214. 

"Doctor's  Dilemma,  The," 
161. 

DODGSON,  CHARLES  L. 
("Lewis  Carroll"),  132, 

134,  135- 
Dogdom,  15. 

DOUBLEDAY,  PAGE  &  Co., 
123. 

Drama — See  Plays. 
Dramatic  criticism,  65. 
Dramatic    manuscripts, 

Forms  for,  164-166. 
Dramatist,  The,  n. 
Drawings,  48,  116. 
DRYDEN,  JOHN,  211. 
DUNBAR,  OLIVIA  HOWARD, 

152. 

E 

EARLE,  SAMUEL  CHANDLER, 

242. 
Editor,  The,  197. 


INDEX 


249 


Editorials,  61. 

Editorial  work,  169-181. 

Editors,   43,   97,    169-181, 

190-194,  202-207. 
Educational  magazines,  12, 

49. 

Educational  Review,  75. 
EGERTON  PRESS,  240. 
ELIOT,  MAUD  HOWE,  19. 
ELLIOTT,  SARAH  BARNELL, 

152. 
EMERSON,  RALPH  WALDO, 

32,  139- 
Emotion,  127. 
Emphasis,  216,  217. 
Endings,  84,  88,   89,   159, 

168,  223. 

Engineering  Review ,  12. 
"English  Composition,"  78, 

84. 
"English    Composition    in 

Theory    and    Practice," 

241. 

"English  Verse,"  243. 
Entrances  in  the  play,  168. 
Epigrams,  99,  100,  114. 
Epworth  Herald,  16. 
Essays,  66. 
Essays,  English,  2. 
Etude,  The,  12. 
Everybody's   Magazine,   76, 

86,121,126,147,151,156, 

157- 

Every  Week,  8,  151,  156. 
Exaggeration,  104, 105, 115. 
Exits  in  the  play,  168. 
Experience,  Use  of,  27,  44. 
Experience-articles,  57,  60, 

61. 


Exposition,  167. 
Extravaganza,  132, 


Fable,  The,  145. 

"Familiar  Letter  to  Sev- 
eral Correspondents,  A," 
130. 

Farming  and  similar  maga- 
zines, 13,  47,  49,  52. 

FERNALD,  JAMES  C.,  241. 

Fiction,  113,  143-*  59,  242. 

FIELD,  EUGENE,  198. 

Field  and  Stream,  15. 

Figures  of  speech,  218-220. 

Filing  systems,  37-39. 

Fillers,  57. 

Florists'  Exchange,  13. 

"Flying-Squirrel,  The,"  55, 

56. 

"Foolish  Showmen,"  65. 
Force,  217. 

Foreign  markets,  201,  202. 
"Four    Famous    American 

Octogenarians,"  82. 
Fra,  The,  66,  75. 
FRANKLIN,  BENJAMIN,  3. 
FREEMAN,  MARY  E.  WIL- 

KINS,  28. 
FUNK  &  WAGNALLS,  241. 


G 


GALSWORTHY,  JOHN,  144, 
152. 

General  Magazine  and  His- 
torical Chronicle,  3. 


250 


INDEX 


Gentleman's  Magazine  or 
Monthly  Intelligencer, 
The,  2. 

GENUNG,  JOHN  FRANKLIN, 
215,  241. 

GEROULD,   GORDON  HALL, 

153. 
GEROULD,    KATHERINE 

FULLERTON,  152. 
GILBERT,  W.  S.,  134. 
GINN  &  Co.,  241. 
Giornale  de'  letter  ati,  2. 
Girl's  Companion,  16. 
Girl's  World,  16. 
Gleanings  in  Bee  Culture,  13. 
GOLDSMITH,  OLIVER,  198. 
"Good  English,"  240. 
Good  Health,  14. 
Good  Housekeeping,  17,  87, 

121,  147,  156. 
GOODLOE,  ABBIE  CARTER, 

153- 
GORDON,    ARMISTEAD    C., 

152,  153- 
Grammar,     140,     212-216, 

241. 

Guardian,  The,  2. 
GUITERMAN,  ARTHUR,   138 

-141. 

H 

HAMILTON,  CLAYTON,  242. 
HANEY,  JOHN  Louis,  240. 
Hardware    Dealers'    Maga- 
zine, 14. 
HARDY,   ROBERT  THOMAS, 

131- 
Harmony,  217,  218. 


HARPER  BROS.,  242. 
Harper's  Bazaar,  75. 
Harper's  Magazine,  77,  86, 

105,  112,  121,  126,  127, 

146,  151,  156. 
HARTE,  BRET,  141. 
Harvard  Lampoon,  106. 
HASKIN,  FREDERIC  J.,  23. 
Hate-theme    in     magazine 

poetry,  124,  126. 
"Havoc  of  Invasion,  The," 

79- 
HAWTHORNE,    NATHANIEL, 

37- 

HAY,  JOHN,  141. 

HAZLITT,  WILLIAM,  95. 

"Headless  Horseman, 
The,"  145. 

Health  and  recreation  mag- 
azines, 14. 

Healthy  Home,  The,  17. 

Hearst's  Magazine,  55,  77, 
87,  88,  121,  146,  156. 

"Heathen  Chinee,  The," 
141. 

HEDONVILLE,  SIEUR  DE,  i. 

HENLEY,  W.  E.,  139. 

HENRY,  O.,  158. 

HENRY  HOLT  &  Co.,  243, 
244. 

Herald  of  Health,  57. 

HIBBARD,  GEORGE,  152. 

HINDS,  HAYDEN  AND  EL- 
DREDGE,  242,  243. 

Hoard's  Dairyman,  13. 

Hoggson's  Magazine,  14. 

Holland's  Magazine,  156. 

HOLMES,  OLIVER  WENDELL, 
130,  139- 


INDEX 


251 


Home  and  Country,  17. 

Home  magazines  —  See 
Woman's  and  home 
magazines. 

Home  Needlework  Maga- 
zine, 17. 

Homiletic  Review,  15. 

HORACE,  139,  141. 

HORNE,  CHARLES  F.,  143, 
242. 

HOUGHTON,  MlFFLIN  &  Co., 
240,  241,  242. 

House  and  Garden,  87. 

Housewife,  The,  156. 

''How  to  Renew  Carbon 
Paper,"  50. 

Human  interest,  71,  72. 

Humor,  90,  92-118,  244. 

Humorous  and  satirical 
magazines,  12. 

Humorous  themes  in  maga- 
zine poetry,  124-126. 
See  Light  Verse. 

Humorous  verse,  130,  131. 

HUNT,  UNA,  153. 


Idealistic  themes  in  maga- 
zine poetry,  1 24. 
IBSEN,  HENRIK,  161. 
Idioms,  218. 
Idler,  The,  3. 
"If  I  Were  a  Shoe  Dealer," 

5o- 

Illustrated    Sunday    Maga- 
zine, 151. 

Illustrated  World,  74. 

Imagination,  30. 


Incidents,  Dramatic,  167, 
223. 

Incongruous,  The,  93,  104- 
106. 

Independent,  The,  4,  61,  76, 
87,  121,  126. 

Index  Rerum,  The,  39-41. 

Index,  Value  of  an,  33 ;  how 
to  make  an,  39-41. 

Indianapolis  Star,  106. 

Information,  30. 

Information-  and  method- 
items,  43-53. 

Information-articles,  54-57. 

Interest,  44,  55,  70,  71,  78, 
89,  127,  199,  200. 

"Interesting  Story  of  a  $100 
Bill,"  62,  63. 

International  Railway  Jour- 
nal, 14. 

International  Studio,  12. 

"International  Test  for 
Vision,  An,"  51. 

Interpretative  articles,  61- 
66. 

"Introduction  to  Poetry," 

243-. 

Inventiveness,  46. 
Irrigation  Age,  13. 
IRVING,  WASHINGTON,  145. 
Italics,  217. 


"Jabberwocky,"   134,   135. 
JACOBS,  W.  W.,  117. 
JEROME,  JEROME  K.,  117. 
Jests — See  Humor. 
"Jim,"  141. 


252 


INDEX 


"John  Gilpin's  Ride,"  141. 

JOHNSON,  HUGH,  153. 

JOHNSON,  SAMUEL,  3,  211. 

Jokes — See  Humor. 

Journal  des  Savants,  i. 

Journal  of  American  His- 
tory, 1 8. 

Journal  of  Educational  Psy- 
chology, 12. 

Journal  of  Nervous  and 
Mental  Diseases,  13. 

Judge,  106,  109,  in,  113, 
126. 

Judicious  Advertising,  14. 

JUNKIN,  T.  P.,  62,  63. 

K 

KARL  VON  KRAFT,  131. 
KEATS,  JOHN,  133, 139, 140. 
Keramic  Studio,  The,  12. 
KILMER,  JOYCE,  139. 
KIMBALL,  LILLIAN  G.,  241. 
Kindergarten  Review,  57. 
KIPLING,  RUDYARD,  158,198. 
KNAPP,  GEORGE  L.,  63. 
KNIGHT,  MARIETTA,  241. 


Ladies'  Home  Journal,  74, 
87,  121,  126,  127,  147, 
152,  156,  196. 

LAMB,  CHARLES,  104. 

LANE,  FRANKLIN  K.,  81. 

LANG,  ANDREW,  220. 

Language,  114. 

"Laughter,"  100,  244. 

Laughter — See  Humor. 


LE ACOCK,  STEPHEN,  117. 
LEAR,  EDWARD,   134,   136, 

137- 

"Leatherette  Book  Cov- 
ers," 49. 

LEE,  JENNETTE,  153. 

LE  GALLIENNE,  RICHARD, 
80. 

Legend,  The,  145. 

Length,  of  articles,  84-88; 
of  poems,  120-122;  of 
fiction,  144, 145, 146, 147, 
148,  149,  154,  156,  157, 
224. 

Leslie's  Weekly,  47. 

Liberal  Advocate,  18. 

Life,  12, 100,  106,  108,  in, 
113,  126,  138. 

Light  verse,  124,  126,  129- 
142. 

Limerick,  The,  136,  137. 

"Lincoln,  Life  of, "34. 

Lippincott's  Magazine,  63, 
100,  101,  102,  103,  129, 
130,  131,  133,  137,  151, 

157- 

Literary  agents,  192-194. 
"Literary      Bookkeeping," 

57-60. 

Literary  Digest,  The,  5,  n. 
Literary  magazines,  1 1 . 
"Little  Breeches,"  141. 
Little  Folks,  17. 
"Lives  of  the  Poets,"  211. 
LOCKHART,  CAROLINE,   29. 
LONDON,  JACK,  29. 
London  Opinion,  no,  in. 
LONGFELLOW,  H.  W.,  129, 

139- 


INDEX 


253 


Love-themes   in    magazine 

poetry,  124-127. 
Lyceum  World,  15. 
Lyric  poetry,  127. 

M 

McBride's   Magazine,    151. 
McC all's  Magazine,  75,  87. 
McCLURE,  S.  S.,  34. 
McClure's  Magazine,  75,  87, 
121,146,151,156,57. 

McCONAUGHY,  J.  W.,  79. 

McCooK,  DR.,  34. 
McCRAE,  LEE,  57-60. 
MACMILLAN  Co.,  THE,  241, 

242,  244. 
Magazine  markets,   Study 

of,  20,  42,  52,  54,  55,  72, 

73,  116,  117,  140,  195- 

197,  202-207. 
Magazine  material,  Kinds 

of,  19-26;  sale  of,  34,  35, 

36,  72»  73>  138-141,  145, 

155,190-207;  sources  of, 

27-42,45-48,69-74,114. 
Magazines,      differentiated 

from    newspapers,     1-8 ; 

kinds  of,  9-18;  origin  of, 

1-4;   typical  qualities  of, 

4-8. 

Manhattan  Review,  n. 
Manual  Training  Magazine, 

12. 
Manufactures    and    trades 

magazines,  13. 
Manufacturers'  Record,  13. 
Manuscript       preparation, 

182-189. 


Manuscript  records,  57-60, 

202. 
Markets  —  See     Magazine 

markets;    also  Magazine 

material. 

MARKHAM,  EDWIN,  123. 
MARSH,  GEORGE  T.,  153. 
MASEFIELD,  JOHN,  162. 
MASON,  WALT,  117. 
Masonic  Home  Journal,  16. 
Masses,  The,  16. 
"Materials  and  Methods  of 

Fiction,"  242. 
MAUPASSANT,  GUY  DE,  105. 
"Metric  System,  The,"  82. 
Metropolitan  Magazine,  73, 

75,  86,  146,  151,  156. 
"Milk  for  Poultry,"  49. 
"Milk  Prices  Again,"  63. 
Millinery  Trade  Review,  17. 
MILTON,  JOHN,  139. 
Mimicry — See  Parody. 
Mirth — See  Humor. 
Miscellanies,  n,  17. 
Misunderstanding,  105, 106, 

107,  108,  in. 

Modern  Language  Notes,  12. 
Modern  Sugar  Planter,  13. 
Monatsgesprache,  2. 
Mother's  Magazine,  76,  87, 

i2i,  127,  147. 
Motivation,  223. 
Motor,  15,  87. 
Moving  Picture  World,  15. 
Munsey's  Magazine,  n,  74, 

78-83,  86,  121,  126,  127, 

147,  156,  157. 
Musical  magazines,  12. 


254 


INDEX 


Music  Trades,  12. 
"My  Chaperon,"  130. 

N 

"Napoleon,  Life  of,"  34. 

Narrative  poetry,  122,  127. 

National  Geographic  Maga- 
zine, 74. 

National  Hibernian,  16. 

National  Magazine,  75,  156. 

National  Sunday  Magazine , 
76. 

Nature-themes  in  magazine 
poetry,  124-125. 

Nautilus,  The,  16. 

NEAL,  ROBERT  WILSON, 
242. 

"Necklace,  The,"  105. 

NEUMARKER,  J.  G.,  133. 

News,  5. 

Newspaper  differentiated 
from  the  magazine,  The, 
1-8. 

New  York  Evening  Post,  6. 

New  York  Evening  World,  6. 

New  York  Times,  139. 

New  York  Tribune,  112. 

"Nomenclature,"  131. 

"Nonsense  Anthology,  A," 

134. 

"Nonsense  Books,"  134. 
Nonsense  verse,  130,  134- 

136. 

Normal  Instructor  and  Pri- 
mary Plans,  49. 

North  American  Review,  n, 
86,  121. 

Note  books,  36,  37,  44,  114. 


Novel,  The,  153,  154-15?, 

242. 

Novelette,  The,  157. 
NYE,  BILL,  108,  117. 

O 

O'BRIEN,  EDWARD  J.,  149, 

243- 
Obscurity,    210,    211,    213, 

215. 

Observation,  29,  44. 
Occupational       magazines, 

14. 
"Ode  on  a  Jar  of  Pickles," 

133- 

One-act  play,  The,  162, 163. 
Onomatopoeia,  217. 
Opening,  Methods  of,   51, 

77-83,  157,  158,  223. 
"Ordered  South,"  21 1,  212. 
Originality,  41,  46. 
Osteopathic  Physician,  13. 
Our  Dumb  Animals,  16. 
"Our    Turbulent    House," 

79- 

Outdoor  Life,  76. 
Outdoors  magazines,  14,  47, 

52,  76,  87,  147. 
Outing,    14,    87,    121,    147, 

156. 

Outlining,  83,  84. 
Outlook,  The,  4,  n,  61,  66, 

76,  87,  121,  126. 
"Outwitted,"  123. 
Overland  Monthly,  87,  121, 

126,  127,  147,  156, 157. 
OXFORD  UNIVERSITY  PRESS, 

242. 


INDEX 


255 


PAGE,  BRETT,  162. 
Parable,  The,  145. 
Paragraphic  material,  43, 

48,  51- 

PARKHURST,  CHARLES  H., 
100. 

Parody,  130,  132,  133. 

PARSONS,  FRANCIS,  152. 

PAUL,  220. 

Pearson's  Magazine,  77,  86, 
147,  156,  157. 

PENN  PUBLISHING  Co.,  163. 

Pennsylvania  School  Jour- 
nal, 12. 

Periodical  defined,  5. 

PERRY,  BLISS,  242. 

Philatelic  West  and  Post 
Card  Collector's  World,  15. 

PHILLIPS,  STEPHEN,  162. 

Photographic  material,  47, 
48,  200,  201. 

Photo-Miniature,    The,    47. 

Photoplay  Magazine,  74. 

Physical  Culture,  14,  77,  87, 
121,  161. 

Piano  Magazine,  The,  12. 

Pictorial  Review,  77, 87, 121, 
146,  151,  156,  183. 

Pigeon  News,  13.. 

"Pippa  Passes,"  162. 

Plagiarism,  41,  46. 

"Plan  to  Keep  the  Chil- 
dren's Stockings  Mated," 

5°- 

PLATO,  93. 
Play    construction,    Hints 

on,  166-168. 


"Play  Making,"  243. 
Play  on  words,   101,   103, 
105,  106,  107,  109,  no, 

III,  112. 

Plays,  160-168,  243. 

Plot,    145,    158,    166,    167, 

223,  224. 

Poetic  form,  122,  127,  128. 
Poetic  plays,  162. 
Poetry,  119-128;  themes  of, 

123-127.  See  Light  verse. 
Poetry,  119. 

Poetry  Journal,  11,  119. 
Poetry  Review,  119. 
"Political  Truce  in  Canada, 

The,"  80. 

Pomposity,  90,  140. 
POPE,  ALEXANDER,  211. 
Popular  Magazine,  156. 
Popular  Mechanics,  47. 
Popular-science  magazines, 

n>47>  5°>.5i>  52- 
Popular    Science    Monthly, 

ii,47,  5°.  5*>  77>87, 196. 
Precision  in  English,  209- 

222,  225-239. 
"Preparedness — of  a  New 

Kind,"  81. 
"Primer   of    Essentials   in 

Grammar  and  Rhetoric, 

A,"  241. 
Princeton  Pictorial  Review, 

12. 
Professional  and  technical 

magazines,  12. 
Public  Libraries,  12. 
Publisher  and  Retailer,  n. 
Puck,  100,  no,  113,  126. 
Punch,  106,  112,  125,  136. 


256 


INDEX 


Punning  verse,  130. 
Puns,  in. 


Questioning  others,  31,  89. 

Questions  and  Exercises, 
25-26,  41,  42,  52,  53,  66- 
68,  90,  91,  117,  118,  128, 
141,  142,  159,  168. 

Quotations,  Use  of,  218. 


Railroad  Man's  Magazine, 

77-. 

"  Raising  the  Spelling  Stand- 
ard," 49. 

Rambler,  The,  3. 

Reading,  31-33. 

"Reading  List,  A  Short," 
240-244. 

Realism,  158. 

"Real   Summer    Girl,   A," 

133- 

Recreation  magazines,   14. 

Red  Book,  The,  146,  156. 

"Reform  Under  Compul- 
sion," 63. 

Red  Man,  The,  16. 

Religious  and  ethical  maga- 
zines, 15. 

Research,  33,  70. 

Reviews,  5,  n. 

Review  of  Reviews,  5,  76,  86. 

Rhetoric,  241. 

Rhetorical  principles,  209- 
231. 

Rhyme,  140. 


Rhythm,  140. 
Rider  and  Driver,  15. 
Rights  in  literary  material, 

205-207. 
ROBERTS,  MARY  ELEANOR, 

119,  128,  129. 
Rock  Products  and  Building 

Material,  14. 

ROTHROCK,  HARRY  A.,  137. 
Rudder,  The,  15. 
RUSKIN,  JOHN,  32. 

S 

St.  Nicholas,  17,  55,  56,  87, 
121,  126,  147,  156,  157. 

Salesman,  14. 

SALLO,  DENIS  DE,  i. 

Sample  copies,  9. 

Satire,  112. 

Satirical  verse,  130. 

Saturday  Evening  Post,  66, 
76,  86,  121,  146,  152. 

School  Arts  Book,  12. 

Scientific  American,  47. 

Scribner's  Magazine,  76,  86, 
121,  126,  144,  146,  151, 

^  152,  153,  156.^ 

Sectional  magazines,  17. 

Self-criticism,  Methods  of, 
68. 

Self-questioning,  Methods 
of,  24,  28,  89. 

Selling  methods — See  Mag- 
azine material. 

Sentences,  210-212,  223. 

Sentiment,  113. 

Serial  stories,  154-157. 

Setting,  114,  223. 


INDEX 


257 


Shakespeare,  124,  139,  140, 
161. 

"  Shakespeare,  William, '  '80. 

SHAW,  G.  BERNARD,  161. 

"Shoes  of  Happiness,  The," 
123. 

Short  Stories ,  146,  156. 

"  Short  Stories  in  the  Mak- 
ing," 242. 

Short-story,  The,  145,  146, 
242. 

Simplicity,  56,  89,  210. 

SlNGMASTER,  ELSIE,   153. 

Situation,  113,  167. 
Sketch,  The  fictional,  143, 

144,  145- 

"Sketch  Book,  The,"  145. 
Sketching,  48,  116. 
SLOANE,  WILLIAM,  34. 
SMALL,  MAYNARD  &  Co., 

243,  244. 
Smart  Set,  The,   121,   126, 

127,  147,  156. 
SMITH,    GORDON   ARTHUR, 

153- 

Smith's  Magazine,  156. 
Snappy  Stories,    121,    126, 

127,  147,  156. 
Sonnets,  127. 
Sorrow  and  death  as  themes 

in  magazine  poetry,  124, 

126. 

Southern  Woman's  Maga- 
zine, 76, 87, 107, 121, 126, 

127,  147,  156. 
Special-interests  magazines, 

18. 
Specialized  magazines,  5,  6, 

9- 


Specializing,    21,    22,    198, 

199. 

Spectator,  The,  2. 
Sporting  Goods  Dealer,  The, 

75- 
Sports  magazines,   14,   47, 

87. 
SPURGEON,    CHARLES    H., 

84,  85. 

STEELE,  RICHARD,  2. 
STEVENSON,  ROBERT  Louis, 

211,  212. 
"Story  of  England,  The," 

78,  79- 

Strand  Magazine,  47. 
"Structure  of  the  English 

Sentence,  The,"  241. 
Struggle  an  element  in  plot, 

115,  167,  223. 
"Study   of   Prose   Fiction, 

A,"  242. 

"Studying       the       Short- 
Story,"  243. 
Style,  84,  212-220. 
Subjects,  55,  57,  72,  141. 

See  Magazine  Material. 
Successful  Farming,  49,  77. 
SULLY,  93. 

Sunday  editions,  8,  117. 
Sunset   Magazine,    17,    77, 

147,  151,  156. 
Suspense,  167. 
SWAIN,  JOSEPH,  57. 
SWOYER,  A.  E.,  55,  56. 
SYDNEY,  SIR  PHILIP,  24. 
Sympathy,  97. 
Syndicates,  8. 
Syndicated  material,  23. 
SYNON,  MARY,  152. 


INDEX 


Synonyms,  217,  224. 

Synthesis,  83,  84. 

System,  14,  50,  76,  87,  122. 


Tabloid  versions  of  plays, 
161,  162. 

Tale,  The,  144,  US- 

"Talks  on  Writing  Eng- 
glish,"  241. 

Tammany  Hall,  100. 

TARBELL,  IDA,  34. 

Tattler,  The,  2. 

TAYLOR,  BAYARD,  133,  139. 

TAYLOR,  JANE,  132. 

Teachers,  Suggestions  to,  xv. 

Technical  writing,  242. 

"Technique  of  Play  Writ- 
ing, The,"  162,  244. 

"Technique  of  the  Novel, 
The,"  143,  242. 

Tenderness,  127. 

TERHUNE,  ALBERT  PAYSON, 

23- 

THACKERAY,  W.  M.,  129. 
Theatre  Magazine,   15,   87, 

122. 
Themes  —  See      Magazine 

material. 
"Theory   and   Practice  of 

Technical  Writing,  The," 

242. 

Thought-divisions,  220,221. 
Thought  and  reflection,  29, 

30,  33- 
"ThroughaLooking  Glass," 

>i34: 
Tit-Bits,  101,  107,  108,  in. 


Titles,  51,  72,  74-77,  114. 
Today's  Magazine,  50. 
Tone,  72,  73,  127,  198,  224. 
Town  Topics,  17. 
TOWNER,  HORACE,  79. 
Trades  Union  News,  16. 
Trained  Nurse  and  Hospital 

Review,  13. 

Travel  Magazine,  86,  146. 
Travel  articles,  12,  19. 
Travesty,  132,  133. 
"Truthful  James,"  141. 
TWAIN,  MARK,  28,  98. 
Typewritten      manuscript, 

183,  184. 

U 

Union  Signal,  15. 
United  Mine  Workers1  Jour- 
nal, 1 6. 

Unity,  72, 215,  216, 220, 221. 
Usage  in  English,  225-239. 


Valparaiso  Vidette,  107. 
VANCE,  ARTHUR  T.,  183. 
VAN  DYKE,  HENRY,  66,  69, 

i44,  153- 
Vanity  Fair,  113. 
VAN  VORST,  MARIE,  29. 
Variety,  43,  139,  218,  219, 

224. 

"Verbalist,  The,"  240. 
Versatility,  43,  139. 
Vers  de  societe,   129,   130, 

138. 
Vers  libre,  128. 


INDEX 


259 


Verse  —  See    Light    verse; 

also  Poetry. 
"Versification,  The  Art  of," 

119,  127,  129. 
Viewpoint,  224. 
Vitality  of  style,  218. 
Vocational  magazines,    13. 
Vogue,  17. 
"Voice  of  the  East  to  the 

Voice  of  the  West,  The," 

131- 

"Voice  of  the  West  to  the 
Voice  of  the  East,  The," 

131- 
Volta  Review,  16. 

W 

Wall  Street  Journal,  5. 

War  themes  in  magazine 
poetry,  124,  125. 

WEBBE,  3. 

Weekly  Memorials  for  the 
Ingenious,  2. 

WELLIVER,  JUDSON  C.,  82. 

WELLS,  CAROLYN,  134, 137, 
141. 

WENDELL,  BARRETT,  77,  78, 
84,  217. 

WERNER  &  Co.,  E.  S.,  163. 

WHARTON,  ANNE  ROLLINGS- 
WORTH,  19. 

WHARTON,  EDITH,  153. 

"  Where  the  Fun  Comes  in," 

131- 
Whimsical  verse,  130,  137, 

138. 

WHITE,  RICHARD  GRANT, 
240. 


WHITTIER,  J.  G.,  133. 
"Why  Men  Move  Chairs," 

57- 

Wide  World,  The,  47. 
WIGHTMAN,   RICHARD,    66. 
Williams  Purple  Cow,  108. 

WILSON,        McLANDBURGH, 

131- 

WITHERUP,  ANNE  W.,  130. 
"Without        Benefit        of 

Clergy,"  158. 

Woman's  and  home  maga- 
zines, 17,  47,  52. 
Woman's  Home  Companion, 

75,  77,  87,  122,  147,  183. 
Woman's  Magazine,  17. 
Woman  Voter,  The,  17. 
WOOD,  JOHN  SEYMOUR,*^. 
Words,  Study  of,  240;   use 

of,  209,  210,  224-239. 
"Wordsand  their  Uses,"  240. 
"Workers,  The,"  29. 
"Working  Grammar  of  the 

English    Language,    A," 

241. 
"Working     Principles     of 

Rhetoric,  The,"  241. 
World's  Work,  The,  14,  76, 

86. 

WRIGHT,  WILLIAM,  153. 
Writer,  The,  197. 
"Writer's    Library,    The," 

30,   129,   162,   240,   242, 

243,  244. 
Writer's  Monthly,  The,  n, 

50,  57-60,   74,   87,   183, 

l849I97,  201. 

"Writing    and    Selling    a 
Play,"  244- 


260 


INDEX 


"Writing  for  Vaudeville," 

162. 
"  Writing  the  Short-Story," 

143,  242. 
WYCKOFF,  WALTER,  28. 


Yachting,  87. 


YONGE,    CHARLOTTE    M., 

34- 
Young's     Magazine,     147, 

156. 
Youth's      and      children's 

magazines,  17. 
Youth's     Companion,      17, 

156. 
Youth's  World,  16. 


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